It was a Jekyll and Hyde weekend for the Save-On-Foods Oceanside Generals as they split their weekend series in games against the Peninsula Panthers and the Campbell River Storm.
Friday night saw the Generals come out flat against the Peninsula Panthers, who were sitting in last place before the game began. That all changed as the Generals would go on to drop the game 5-1, vaulting the Panthers ahead of the Generals in the standings.
After a terrible outing Friday, the Gens were home to the first place Campbell River Storm on Saturday night. Getting off to a slow start, the Gens took three penalties in the first three minutes of the game, finding themselves down 1-0 after the first period. With the team looking for a spark to carry them through the rest of the game, they found it in goaltender David Anderson, who was back in net for the first time in six weeks after a lower-body injury.
“It felt good to get back in the net,” Anderson said. “There was a little rust there but luckily I faced a good chunk of shots early so I got in the game quickly. We got off to a slow start but we stuck close with them and kept on working hard.”
That hard work would lead to a second period goal, which tied it at 1-1, as Jonah Pearson was parked at the side of the net to bang home a rebound out of mid-air on a Generals power play. Both teams would trade goals in the third, as Mathieu Jallabert (power play goal) and Logan Savard gave the Generals a 3-2 lead. Campbell River would tie it up on the power play late in the third, setting the stage for a dramatic overtime finish.
With his family visiting from Traverse City, Michigan, PJ Heger blasted a shot that found its way past three Storm defenders and goaltender Kyle Cheema for the game winner.
“As soon as I shot it I was hoping it would find a way through,” Heger said after scoring the game winner. “We played hard after a terrible game on Friday and we showed that we have what it takes to compete with the top team in this league. It was a great team game all around, everyone stepped up when we could have folded it up in the third after giving up the lead, but we stuck together and it paid off in the end.”
Now sitting dead last in the league, the Generals will look to continue their momentum after a big win on Saturday as they take on the Saanich Braves, seventh of the nine teams in the VIJHL, this Wednesday night at the George Pearkes Arena in Saanich.
Saturday night the Generals are back at home to take on the Westshore Wolves, currently sitting third in the VIJHL. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 p.m. in the Howie Meeker rink at Oceanside Place.