Mark Berry
Special to the Mirror
There were high expectations on both sides heading into game one of the VIJHL Championship Finals on Sunday.
For the Victoria Cougars it was redemption, having lost last year in four straight to Campbell River. For the Storm, it was to repeat as league champions.
The game at Archie Browning Arena was another classic Storm-Cougars affair decided by a goal in double overtime. Victoria claimed the night when Nathan Looysen, on the power play at 14:38, fired a laser in the top corner.
Storm netminder, Riley Welyk, was exceptional turning aside 52 of 55 shots and keeping his team in this one. They say that the goalie has to be the best penalty killer and Welyk’s performance in the first two periods underscored that.
It was a parade to the penalty box in the first 40 minutes with Campbell River down to three skaters three times in the first.
Austin Steger caught Cougars goalie, Anthony Ciurro, moving away from his post to open the scoring at 4:32 of the first period. Jordan Passmore would respond a few minutes later on the power play. The first frame would end tied at one.
In the second, more penalty trouble led to the VIJHL’s top scorer Looysen getting his first of the evening with a shot that went post and in.
Midway through the third, Gage Colpron picked up his third goal of the playoffs on a perfect feed from Kobe Oishi. That goal sparked the Storm and they dominated for the remainder of the period but couldn’t beat Ciurro.
Storm Associate Coach, Mike Wilson, felt that after a nervous start the Storm found their game in the later stages of regulation, “I thought in the third and in the first overtime we were buzzing and we were taking it to them.” Ultimately the game came down to the Victoria power play, “We took some penalties and you can’t do that against this team.”
With the Cougars hosting the Cyclone Taylor Cup in April, both teams are guaranteed a spot at the Provincials. The series continued last night at the Rod Brind’Amour Arena. See www.campbellrivermirror.com for results.
