Left picture: #19 Joshua Bourne is stopped at the side of the net.
Right picture: #31 Landon Pavlisin dives and smothers a loose puck.
By Dan Marshall
The WOLF 106.9 FM
Reprinted from NanaimoNewsNOW.com
NANAIMO — The Clippers slow start cost them in a 5-2 loss to the Bulldogs on Wednesday night. Alberni Valley scored 19 seconds into the game on a goal by Mitch Deelstra, and Jackson Doucet made it 2-0 just over a minute into the contest.
The Bulldogs upped their lead to 3-0 when Ryan Miotto scored on a rebound at the mid way point of the first. Landon Pavlisin replaced Jordan Naylor in net after the third goal. Moments after that Alberni Valley had a goal called back because it was put in thanks to a kicking motion, so the game stayed 3-0 after 20 minutes.
In the second period Nanaimo captain Marcus Mitchell scored a power play deflection to the give the Clippers some life. It did ignite a spark, but the Bulldogs restored their three goal lead with a tip in on a power play of their own by Dawson Tritt.
Another man advantage tally by Keaton Mastrodonato put Alberni Valley up 5-1 in the third period before Mitchell got his second of night, also on the power play, to wrap up the scoring.
The final shots were 33-22 for the Bulldogs with each team scoring a pair with a man up.
Nanaimo was 2/2 and they were 2/4 killing penalties.
There were two fights in the game with Matt Mosher scrapping the Bulldogs Sam Pouliot, and Nanaimo’s Zack Dallazanna scoring the decision against Ethan McLaughlin.
Wednesday’s Three Stars were Ryan Miotto (1 goal, 3 assists), Marcus Mitchell (2 goal), and Jackson Doucet (1 goal, 1 assist).
Nanaimo leads the season series 4-3 with the final game Friday night at Weyerhauser Arena in Alberni.
The Clippers had won the previous four head to head meetings going into Wednesday night’s contest.
Last Saturday the Clippers were forced to use five AP’s in Duncan, they welcomed back Sammy Steele, Aiden Hansen-Bukata, and Jonathan Stein to the line up against the Bulldogs. Hansen-Bukata factored in the scoring with one assist.
Aside from Friday’s rematch the Clippers have another home game this week Saturday versus the Merritt Centennials.
