The Victoria Grizzlies are really starting to like Frank Crane Arena.
For the second straight trip to Nanaimo, the Grizzlies blasted the Clippers, this time by an 8-2 score on Wednesday night.
After beating the Clippers 5-1 in their first trip to the Harbour City last month, the Grizzlies struck early again, riding their 20-year-olds to a key B.C. Hockey League Island Division victory. The Grizzlies improve to 10-5 on the season, tops on the Island, while the Clippers fall to 5-9.
Veterans Cam Thompson and Ryan Nolan scored two goals and two assists each to pace the Grizzlies’ offence.
Thompson opened the scoring, beating Clippers starting netminder Landon Pavlison just 57 seconds into the game. Thompson struck again at the eight-minute mark, before Nolan scored back-to-back goals four minutes apart to send the Grizzlies to the intermission with a 4-0 lead.
After Nico Somerville scored a power-play goal 1:34 into the second period to put the Grizzlies up 5-0, the Clippers replaced Pavlison with Jordan Naylor.
It seemed to work, briefly, as Naniamo’s Mackenzie Merriman scored 30 second later.
But Grizzlies newcomer Henrie Schreifils scored his first since coming over from Alberni Valley last week to add to the Clippers’ woes.
Jeremie Bucheler and Carter Berger had the other Victoria goals, while captain and leading scorer Alex Newhook chipped in three assists.
Twenty-year-old Grizzlies netminder Kurtis Chapman made 29 saves to pick up his ninth win of the season.
