The Save-On-Foods Oceanside Generals are on the board with their first win of the season, beating the Comox Valley Glacier Kings by a score of 4-2.
Forward Cam Nickerson scored two goals in the third period as the Generals broke a 2-2 tie to go on and win the game 4-2.
Goaltender Braddock Otton made 29 saves in net for the Generals, earning his first win of the season.
“Felt good to get the win,” Nickerson said. “We’ve been working hard to get that first win and it’s nice to see that hard work pay off.”
“We just need to keep working hard, keep playing hard in games and we should see some more wins come our way.”
The Gens scored the first two goals of the game as well, giving them their first lead in a game this season. Forwards Sebastian Powsey and Mathieu Jallabert each scored to make it 2-0 early in the second period.
The Glacier Kings would come back to make it a 2-2 game, scoring two goals in the second period with one of them coming with one second left on the clock before the buzzer sounded for the second intermission.
“After our last loss to Saanich, we needed a different effort,” Jallabert said. “We know we can be competitive with teams that we play but we wanted to show we could win.”
“We need more of an effort as a team, instead of being individuals, every game we play. If we do that, we’ll be able to keep winning games.”
The Generals hit the ice Friday night as they head north again to square off with the Campbell River Storm. The Storm beat the Generals on opening night 4-1.
“I thought we played them alright the first time,” captain Chandler Bruyckere said.
“We need to keep working together as a team, working hard as a team and not worry about teams like Campbell River and what they did last season.”
“It’s a different season and we’re a different team, much like they are, so we’ve got a different attitude and mindset with games this season,” Bruyckere said.
“It’s a lot more positive, both on and off the ice, compared to the way it’s been the last couple of seasons and that’s really important for us, as a team, to try and hold on to that positivity as long as we can,” said Bruyckere.
They hold their fourth free “Skate with the Generals” Saturday from 2 p.m.–3:30 p.m. They will then host the Glacier Kings at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Oceanside Place, the team’s third game of the week.
“It can be tough,” assistant coach Jerry Bickerton said. “But I think it’s a great thing because it gives players a chance to really get into the games and stay loose throughout the week, instead of having to wait all week for two games during the weekend. It was nice to get that first win and hopefully we see more wins coming our way.”
