After missing out on two more opportunities to beat the Victoria Cougars for the first time since the 2012 Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League playoffs, the Kerry Park Islanders collected one point on Wednesday night in a tie with the Westshore Wolves.
The Isles lost back-to-back home games against the Cougars, falling 4-1 last Saturday and 8-2 on Tuesday before a 3-3 draw with the Wolves at the Q Centre.
“On Saturday, we were in the game for a while,” Islanders owner Mark Osmond said. “We dominated the second period until we took a penalty and they scored. That changed the game.”
Kayden Peck scored the Isles’ only goal on Saturday late in the first period, tying the score at 1-1. The Cougars went ahead on a powerplay marker late in the second and put it away with two at even-strength in the third. Goalie Rett Rook made 31 saves.
The first period on Tuesday played out in a similar fashion as the Cougars opened the scoring and Peck notched the equalizer. The Cougars scored three times in the second and four times in the third, with Peck potting his second of the game right in the middle of the final frame. Rook started in net and made 26 saves on 32 shots over 52 minutes. Tyson Duffe played the balance and stopped six of eight shots.
Osmond was satisfied with the result of Wednesday’s road game. Caleb Franklin scored the tying goal on the powerplay with less than four minutes remaining.
“We played a good first and a good third,” he said. “The second was awful. For both teams.”
Dawson Haines opened the scoring at 7:49 of the first period, but the Isles saw their lead evaporate just 68 seconds later. The Wolves would take the lead five minutes after that, but Peck tied the score again with his fourth goal in three games. After a scoreless second period, the Wolves went up at 7:52 of the third before Franklin tied the score. Neither of the two five-minute overtime sessions produced any offence. Chase Anderson made 36 saves.
Peck’s four goals in the last three games give him seven on the season, tied for second on the team behind Franklin.
“I think he’s settled in,” Osmond said. “He’s a skilled player, and we need him to put it in the net.”
The Isles also got forward Haines back in the fold last week. Haines, who played with the team last season, returned after starting the season in the Alberta Junior Hockey League and recorded an assist on Saturday as well as his goal on Wednesday.
The Isles have two home games this weekend, hosting the Comox Valley Glacier Kings on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and the Oceanside Generals at Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
