It wasn't the way the Nanaimo Clippers wanted to return from their
Christmas break.
Coquitlam never trailed en route to a 5-2 win on Wednesday.
After a strong start for the Clippers, Alex Petan converted a cross ice
feed in close to give the Express a 1-0 lead on the power play at 3:34.
Brett Hartskamp would tie the score off of a Ryan Wells rebound at
13:35, but Petan stormed in on a shorthanded breakaway at 17:25 to give
Coquitlam a 2-1 advantage after one.
In the second period Zach Hodder upped the lead with a wrist shot at
1:44 and Alex Kerfoot deked out Billy Faust on a breakaway to make the
score 4-1.
Of note in the second Nanaimo Captain Trevor Fitzgerald was assessed
seven minutes in penalties when he tried to engage Hodder in a fight.
The Clippers killed the seven minutes, which would also include two full
two minute five on three's.
Then Fitzgerald brought Nanaimo within two goals with a power play
marker at 16:16 of the third but Hodder would ice it into an empty net
with 29 seconds to go.
Coquitlam's Cole Huggins improved to 10-0-1 with the victory as he
stopped 24 shots.
Faust made 30 saves for the Clippers but took the loss.
On the power play the Express went 1/7 while the Clippers were 1/3.
Wednesday's Three Stars were 1) Alex Petan 2) Alex Kerfoot 3) John Siemer
Coquitlam has a 3-0 record against Nanaimo this year and with the win
they vault past the Clippers into fourth place in the Coastal Conference.
