The Victoria Grizzlies did their best impression of the Grinch on Friday night in Port Alberni, spoiling the Alberni Valley Bulldogs’ Teddy Bear Toss game at the Alberni Valley Multiplex.
Backed by another strong performance from rookie netminder Oliver Auyeung-Ashton and three points each from Jack Gorton and Owen Bohn, the Grizzlies downed the Bulldogs 5-0 to pick up their third victory in a row and force Bulldogs fans to just throw their stuffed animals on the ice at the end of the game.
Auyeung-Ashton finished with 32 saves for his second straight shutout after blanking the Cowichan Valley Capitals 3-0 last Saturday. The 17-year-old from Coquitlam has now allowed just one goal in his last three games and he came into the game with a league-best save percentage of .937 and the third-best goals-against average at 2.07.
Gorton, who’s headed to the NCAA and Boston University next fall, helped get the Grizzlies offence going Friday, setting up Anthony Carone for the game’s first goal on a Victoria power play at the eight-minute mark of the first period. Gorton then added a goal of his own with four minutes left in the period, taking a nice feed from blue-liner Hoyt Stanley and beating former Victoria Royals netminder Campbell Arnold, who joined the Bulldogs last month.
Bohn and defenceman Nathan King had second-period goals for the Grizzlies, while captain Eli Barnett added a goal early in the third period.
The Grizzlies now return home for their own Teddy Bear Toss game tonight as they welcome the Salmon Arm Silverbacks to The Q Centre. Salmon Arms is coming off a 4-3 victory over the Surrey Eagles on Friday night.
