Bombers Drop Decision to Islanders in Overtime

The Port Alberni Bombers five-game winning streak was snapped after losing 2-1 in overtime to Kerry Park Islanders in Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) play on Friday night at the Alberni Valley Multiplex.
Friday night’s contest was the third straight game to be decided in overtime, the Bombers having defeated Campbell River and Westshore last weekend in extra time.
The locals have not lost in regulation time since October 16 when they fell 3-2 to Saanich Predators at the Multiplex.
Including the loss to the Predators, the Bombers have six wins, one loss and three overtime losses in their last ten games, picking up 15 of a possible 20 points over that span.
After a scoreless first period, the teams traded second-period markers when Carson Brown scored for the Islanders and Kai Verbrugge scored for the Bombers to keep the teams deadlocked.
A scoreless third period preserved the regulation time tie, sending the game to extra time, where Matson Waring scored at 5:38 to send the visitors home happy and break the hearts of a “Parent Night” crowd.
Daniel Betcher and Elliot Kuprash picked up assists on the Verbrugge goal.
Brown’s marker, his 22nd of the campaign was his 30th point in Kerry Park’s last eleven games.
The Bombers power play, which sputtered at the start of the season, but had been gaining traction of late, was 0-for-7 on Friday, due in large part to the game’s first star, Islanders’ goaltender Ethan Taylor, who stopped 39 of 40 shots, many of the spectacular variety.
The Bombers return to the ice on Saturday night when they host Victoria Cougars in a 7:00 pm start at the Alberni Valley Multiplex.