#22 Luke Buss collects the puck won by #19 Connor DeTurris in a face-off.
By Malcom Cooke
The Nanaimo Clippers fell to the Surrey Eagles 3-1, in what was a potential playoff preview, on Friday. The Clippers came into tonight's game trailing the Alberni Valley Bulldogs by two points for 3rd place in the Coastal Division. The game marked hometown product Brett Merner’s 150th BCHL game as a member of the Nanaimo Clippers. The teams were tied 0-0 through 55 minutes of play thanks to stellar performances by both netminders. The Eagles scored twice in 17 seconds, and once on an empty net. Luke Buss scored the lone Clipper goal, his 22nd of the season. Chazz Nixon stopped 32 shots, including numerous electrifying saves to keep the game tied through the majority of the contest.
The Clippers dominated the time of possession in the 1st, holding the Eagles to a single shot in the initial 10 minutes. Emmett McHardy had a clean breakaway midway through the 1st period but got turned aside by Eagles goalie Ajeet Gundarah. The Eagles took an early slashing penalty, giving the Clippers a power-play chance to score the game's first goal. The power-play unit mustered plenty of shots but could not solve Gundarah. The Clippers outshot the Eagles by a 2:1 margin in the 1st, 12-6 total.
It would be the Clippers taking an early penalty to start the 2nd period as Emmett McHardy got called for roughing after attempting to loosen the puck from Gundarah’s glove. The Clippers successfully killed off the penalty. Chazz Nixon made multiple big saves in high-danger areas to keep the score tied at 0-0 midway through the Friday night tilt. As the clock ticked closer to zero Nixon’s spectacular saves kept coming, including a sprawling blocker save on a shot from in tight. Clippers defenceman Andrew Brown was sent to the sin-bin for roughing late in the 2nd. Once again Nixon stood on his head to keep the game scoreless. Upon emerging from the box Andrew Brown streaked down the sidewall after a loose puck and wired a shot that beat Gundarah, but not the crossbar, as the game headed into the 2nd intermission with the same score as the start of the game. The Eagles peppered Nixon with shots in the 2nd period, getting 17 to the Clippers seven.
In the 3rd period, both teams came out firing on all cylinders in an attempt to break the 0-0 deadlock. The Eagles were handed their 3rd power play of the game in the middle of the final frame. The Clippers' penalty kill was cut short after Surrey took a penalty of their own resulting in a minute of 4-on-4 hockey, followed by a minute of power play for Nanaimo. At the end of both power-play chances, the score remained 0-0. After nearly 55 minutes of scoreless hockey, the Eagles doubled up in less than 30 seconds, scoring twice on back-to-back chances to go up 2-0 with only five minutes remaining. The Eagles added an empty-netter to go up 3-0 in the dying minutes of the game. Luke Buss managed to break up the Gundarah shutout late to make the game 3-1. The final shot total was 34-33 in favour of the Eagles.
Goalies Ajeet Gundarah and Chazz Nixon earned 1st and 2nd stars of the game for their performances. Eagles forward Nathan Oickle picked up the 3rd star. Emmett McHardy was awarded the FortisBC Energy Player of the Game for his shot-blocking efforts on the penalty kill. The Clipper and Eagles face-off once again on Sunday afternoon at The Frank. Tickets can be purchased at the Frank Crane box office on game day, or at tickets.nanaimoclippers.com.
Catch all of the exciting action at a 2023-2024 Nanaimo Clippers game.
Tickets can be purchased at tickets.nanaimoclippers.com.
