The bad news is Oceanside’s Save-On-Foods Generals were handed a hard-fought 4-2 loss Sunday afternoon by the Comox Valley Glacier Kings in VIJHL action.
The good news is the two teams meet again this weekend for one last regular season home-and-home.
Sunday’s tilt was the second of a two game home-stand for the Gens, who came from three goals back to beat the league’s last place Kerry Park Islanders 5-3 Saturday night.
Comox came to town Sunday sitting second in the North Division with Oceanside right on their heels looking to grab home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
As has been the case all year, the teams turned in a fast-paced game that saw plenty of crisp passes and crunching checks by both teams.
Comox scored the games’ first goal 16:25 into the second, and the Gens’ Jesse Ursic struck on the power play a minute later to knot the game 1-1 after 40 minutes, which is how it stood until midway through the final frame when the Glacier Kings iced the win with three goals in the span of 62 seconds. Michael Fretz scored on the power play for Oceanside with 1:34 left in the game.
Comox outshot Oceanside 13-7 in the first period and 41-27 on the game. Gens’ goalie Kiefer Giroux gave his team a chance, and his 36 saves earned him the games’ third star.
The weekend leaves the Generals at 18-21-2 on the season for 38 points — four points back of the 20-19-2 Glacier Kings who are second in the North and nine points behind the first year first place Nanaimo Buccaneers, who at 24-15-3 are tied with Westhore for third overall in the nine-team league, which is being led by the 39-1-2 Victoria Cougars who have amassed 80 points this season with six games remaining in the regular season.
ON SATURDAY the Gens spotted the visiting Islanders a three goal lead after 40 minutes but roared back with five unanswered goals in the third to wrestle the win away.
Thanvir Bandesha opened the scoring for Oceanside in that one 5:13 into the final frame short handed; Fretz scored on the PK less than a minute later and added another on the power play, and Cam McCarrick and Travis Flug rounded out the scoring.
KP outshot Oceanside 33-28; Alex Mastrodonato was in net for the win and McCarrick, Fretz and Gray were named the Games’ three stars. The loss dropped the ‘Isles to 4-33-3 on the season.
GAME ON: The Generals are in Comox Friday night for the front end of their final home-and-home of the regular season against the Glacier Kings. The two teams meet again at Oceanside Place Saturday night in a 7:30 p.m. start.