Tyson Taylor
sports@pqbnews.com
The Save-On-Foods Oceanside Generals were looking forward to getting back on the ice and going at it one more time with the Nanaimo Buccaneers after a heated game in Parksville last weekend.
It didn’t work out that well for the Gens, who lost 4-2 in Nanaimo on Thursday.
Eric Kennelly of the Bucs was suspended for two games after he delivered an elbow to the head of Generals forward Cory Burnett in Parksville on Dec. 7. Apparently anticipating trouble, the league assigned two referees (usually only one official has the red arm bands) for the game Thursday night, however both teams managed to keep it clean.
Nanaimo scored two goals in the first period, just three minutes apart. A late goal from Jonah Pearson, a 16-year-old from Nanaimo, with five minutes to go in the first, brought the Generals back to within one heading into the second.
The Buccaneers put two more on the board to take a 4–1 lead heading into the third period. Oceanside opened up the period with a chance to convert on the power play but couldn’t manage a goal.
A few minutes after the power play had expired, Wyatt Petryshen, 18 years-old and hailing from Calgary, slotted his fourth goal of the season. But it was too much for the Generals to overcome as they ended up losing 4–2.
Saturday the Gens were back at home to square off against the Campbell River Storm.
Oceanside came out strong in the first period.
The Generals converted on their second power play opportunity as Devin Warfield banged one home off a shot from the point from Chandler Bruyckere for his first goal as a General. Goaltender Evgeuni Makarski stopped all 10 shots he faced in the first, but his night was far from over.
The second period was all Campbell River, showing why they’re the team to beat in the North Division. The Storm struck quickly on two goals that were just a minute apart, the first at even strength and the second on the power play. Both goals came off bounces from the end boards and popped on to the waiting stick of a Storm player.
“I thought the first one I had a good position on, the second one was a worse bounce for sure. Sometimes it’s just the way it goes, they get a couple of bounces and the next thing you know we’re down,” said Makarski of the two tough goals.
Oceanside managed to tie it up halfway through the third period as captain Travis Flug busted a scoring slump as he put one home on the power play. It was one of seven power plays the Generals had on the night, which was minimal compared to the 14 Campbell River had on the night.
“Yeah, it’s a little tough when we’re playing short handed that often. Especially when you get behind, it makes it hard to come back. We just need to figure out a way to play with more discipline and not put ourselves in a hole like that,” Flug said.
The Gens had chances in the third period on breakaways for Flug, Mikey Markland and Nate Fitzpatrick but neither Flug or Markland could beat the Storm goalkeeper, while Fitzpatrick put it past the goalie but rung it off the crossbar.
This marked the final home game of the 2013 calendar year for the Generals as they’re headed to Campbell River on Friday and will be in Comox on Saturday night. The Generals next home game doesn’t come until Jan. 4, when they take on the Kerry Park Islanders.
