Bryton Beattie and Brett Lervold had a goal and an assist each as the Victoria Cougars scored three times in a span of two minutes and four seconds to down the Kerry Park Islanders 4-1 Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the Cougars now lead their best-of-seven VIJHL playoff series 3-0 and can wrap it up Tuesday night in Kerry Park.
Ryan Carson and Nathan Looysen also scored for Victoria who had Lady Luck on its side.
It was 1-0 for the longest time before the Islanders allowed three quick second period goals.
Kerry Park opened the scoring in the first period on a goal by Kyle Green with 1:46 remaining. Green ripped the puck over the catching glove of Gregory Maggio from the slot after taking a short feed from Dawson Haines.
The score stayed that way until the 16:48 mark of the second period.
From a different area code, Carson badly fooled Ty Rennie with a bouncing shot from centre ice.
Then at 18:16, Lervold took a Cody Hodges pass off the skate before sliding the puck home for his second goal of the postseason. The power play goal came 13 seconds after Graham Winship was sent off the ice for slashing Hodges on the previous play.
Beattie, who was named the game’s first star, had his point shot redirected in off a Kerry Park defender 36 seconds later.
All of a sudden, it was 3-1.
Victoria outshot the Islanders 44-15 including 13-4 in the third period.
Looysen added an empty net goal after stripping David Bittner of the puck with 9.8 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Cougars were 1-for-5 with the man advantage; meanwhile, Kerry Park went 0-for-6.
Lane Vandewetering finished the game with a pair of assists.
After the game, VIJHL president Myles Parsons and Junior B divisional director Brian Harrison awarded Victoria with some hardware. Looysen was awarded the Brian Harrison Award (VIJHL Top Forward), the Jamie Benn Trophy (VIJHL Most Valuable Player), and the Doug Morton Trophy (VIJHL Regular Season Scoring Leader).
Anthony Ciurro took home the Bob Saunders Community Leadership Award (Team Leadership) while Mark Van Helvoirt, Suneil Karod, Thomas Kala, Brody Coulter, Jake Stolz, and Bill Morrison will share the Eddie “The Storm” Kingston Award (VIJHL Coach of the Year).
Elsewhere in the VIJHL: Campbell River Storm 5, Saanich Braves 2. Westshore Wolves 3, Peninsula Panthers 2 (OT)
