Don’t blink, or you’ll miss the lead changes atop the North Division of the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League.
The Comox Valley Glacier Kings are currently second in the three-team race for top spot, just one point back of co-leaders Campbell River Storm and Nanaimo Buccaneers. The Yetis kept their drive for a division championship alive Saturday night in Courtenay with a 6-3 victory over the Westshore Wolves.
Liam Shaw led the way with a four-point (1g, 3a) performance that earned him first star honours. Second star Carson George had three points (2g, 1a) including the game winner on the power play.
Taylor Bowman, Ali Gotmy and Grant Iles also tallied for the Icemen while Michael Hails was the winning goalie. Westshore out-shot Comox Valley 27-24. The visitors were 1-for-4 on the power play while the G-Kings went 1-for-5.
The game was scoreless after one period, with the Wolves scoring two early goals in the second to. The Yetis fought back with four straight, including a shorthanded marker from Gotmy (his 13th goal of the year).
The Wolves netted a power-play goal early in the third to close the lead to one, but Bowman’s third of the season gave the G-Kings some breathing room at the 11:05 mark and Iles sealed the deal with an empty netter (his fifth goal of the year) with 13 seconds left in the game.
The Glacier Kings (17-10-1-2) have a big game with Nanaimo (18-9-2-0) this Saturday, with game time 7:30 p.m. at Comox Valley Sports Centre Arena #1.
Happy Trails
Meanwhile, the Yetis have bid happy trails to forward Sheldon Brett, who has joined the Jr. A Trail Smoke Eaters for the rest of the BCHL season.
The 17-year-old Brett was a top 10 scorer in the Jr. B VIJHL, compiling 34 points (15g, 19a) through 25 games with the Glacier Kings. He was acquired Dec. 1 and in his second game with Trail on Dec. 7 had two assists and was named the FortisBC Energy Player of the Game in a 4-3 loss to the Merritt Centennials.
The fleet-footed left winger joins his cousin, goalie Adam Todd, and former Yeti Mitch Ball in Trail. He thanks the Glacier Kings organization and especially head coach Joey Ewing for all his support and encouragement.
ICE CHIPS It’s a quiet December for the Glacier Kings, who play only three games this month … following Dec. 14’s home game with Nanaimo they finish up the 2013 portion of their regular season Dec. 21 at home against Oceanside Generals … they open 2014 at home against the Storm … while the Yetis will miss Brett’s scoring touch, it will be welcomed by the Smoke Eaters as they are last in the BCHL in goals-for with 76 through 32 games … Trail is in sixth and last place in the Interior Division with a 7-22-2-1 record …
