The Nanaimo Buccaneers, coming off maybe the biggest win in franchise history, will try to maintain their high.
The city’s junior B hockey team hosts the Kerry Park Islanders tonight (Jan. 10) at the Nanaimo Ice Centre.
Playing the last-placed Islanders might be a marked contrast from the Bucs’ last game, a 4-3 shootout win over the first-placed Victoria Cougars.
The Buccaneers outshot the Cougs in that game, too, and were “full value” for the win, said Brad Knight, the team’s coach.
“To have them believe and be successful, it was huge,” he said. “It’s an affirmation for us that we’re going in the right direction.”
ICE CHIPS … Tonight’s 7:15 p.m. game is the start of a busy few days for the Buccaneers. The team will play another league game Saturday in Parksville against the Oceanside Generals, and the day after that, Knight and 10 of his players will be participating in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League’s all-star festivities at Parksville’s Oceanside Place. Dan Foglietta, Beau Blanaru, Johnathan Speer, Quentin McShane and Cameron Large are playing in the all-star game and Garrett Dunlop, Will McNamara, Jake Calverley and Riley Medves will play in the all-star prospects game. The prospects game starts at 1:30 p.m.; the all-star game goes at 4:30 p.m. For ticket info, visit www.vijhl.com. To read an article on the all-star game from the Parksville Qualicum Beach News, please click here.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com