The Kerry Park Islanders took the Westshore Wolves to overtime on Saturday night only to cough up the puck early in the extra period and fall 3-2 at home against their Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League South Division rivals.
“There was a little mistake on our part, and they took advantage,” Islanders owner Carl Ollech said. “You can’t do anything about it.”
The Isles mounted a successful comeback in the third period to force overtime. After the Wolves scored once each in the first and second periods, Parker Bergstrom and Reid Fitzpatrick each had a goal and an assist as the Isles drew even in the third. Unfortunately, it took the Wolves just 19 seconds of overtime to pot the winner. Spencer Deakin made 32 saves in the Kerry Park net as the Isles were outshot 35-33.
The day before, the Isles lost 6-3 to the Peninsula Panthers in North Saanich, a much better result than their 10-1 defeat by the same team a week earlier.
Alex Villa opened the scoring, but the Panthers replied with two goals in the first and the only two of the second. Fitzpatrick had a powerplay goal in the third, followed by another Peninsula goal, then Riley Windsor scored for Kerry Park before the Panthers added an empty-netter.
“The kids played really well,” Ollech said. “It really was a 5-3 game. The kids played their hearts out.”
Kerry Park blueliner Lyndon Drummond assisted on Windsor’s goal for his first VIJHL point in his 37th game, going back to last season, and Nick Haisell made 47 saves as the Isles were outshot 53-17. League scoring leader Tanner Wort recorded a hat trick against Kerry Park for the second straight game.
With six wins, 21 regulation losses and three overtime losses, the Isles have 15 points and sit fifth in the South Division. They are still well clear of the Comox Valley Glacier Kings, who have just seven points, although all three of their wins have come in the last six games.
The Isles will visit the Victoria Cougars on Thursday and Comox on Saturday before hosting Comox next Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
The Dec. 17 game will be Kerry Park’s last of 2019, and all minor hockey players who show up wearing a jersey will get in free of charge.
“Without support from the community, the team wouldn’t be here,” Ollech said. “It would be awesome if we could fill it up completely.”
