The Port Alberni Bombers suffered their second loss in three games, dropping a 4-3 overtime decision to Nanaimo Buccaneers when former Bomber, Jack Barrett scored late in the extra frame in Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League (VIJHL) pre-season action at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on Sunday afternoon.
The Bombers drew first blood in the back-and-forth affair when Kaelan Basnett scored the only goal of the first period, only to have the Buccaneers respond with the lone goal of the second frame when former Bomber Casey Rutland evened the proceedings at 1-1 after 40 minutes of play.
The third period saw more of the same tight play as the first two frames – Barrett gave the Buccaneers their first lead four minutes in, only to have Quinn Bouchard even things for the Bombers halfway through the frame. The visitors took the lead again, less than one minute after Bouchard’s goal, when Madden Cruikshank score his second of the pre-season on the power play, but the Bombers tallied a power play goal of their own five minutes later when Bouchard scored his second of the night and fourth of the pre-season to send the game to extra time and set the stage for Barrett’s heroics.
Bomber netminder Xavier Hahn kept his team in the contest during the overtime period, making a number of spectacular saves as the Buccaneers outshot the Bombers 14-3 in the extra frame.
The Bombers now embark on the 2025-26 VIJHL campaign, opening the season with three games on the road, travelling first to Lake Cowichan on Friday night to face the Kraken, and then making the trip over the hump on Saturday as they face Oceanside Generals in Parksville.
The following weekend will see the Bombers play their third road game, this time in Campbell River on Friday, September 12 when they meet the Storm, before finally returning home to face the Buccaneers at the Alberni Valley Multiplex on Saturday, September 13. Opening face-off at the Multiplex is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
Bombers Lose in Overtime
