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Clippers need to play ferociously

A simmering rivalry sort of fell off the stove a couple weeks ago, and the Nanaimo Clippers don’t want to let that happen again.

The Clips and the Victoria Grizzlies meet tonight (Jan. 22) at Frank Crane Arena for another important game in the standings.

Each of the meetings between the two teams this season had been getting progressively more heated, until a Jan. 8 game in Victoria where the Clippers laid an egg and lost 7-0.

“We’ve definitely got something to prove,” said Victor Newell, Clippers defenceman. “We can’t let them get away with that. We obviously want some revenge against them so it’ll be a really good game.”

Charles-Alexy Premont was the goalie of record the last time the teams met.

“We have to slow down, relax,” he said. “Sometimes we are afraid against this team but we don’t have to be. We just have to trust ourself and work hard.”

Newell said to beat the Grizzlies, his team needs to get up for the game and prepare to play a feisty style.

“A couple of their key guys kind of have a hot temper, so it’s good to get underneath their skin,” said Newell. “We’ve just got to play our game, outwork them all over the ice and they’ll fall apart.”

The fifth-place Clippers believe they can catch the fourth-place Grizzlies in the standings, so that’s more motivation – if they needed any.

“We’re going to look for revenge,” Premont said. “We are ready.”

GAME ON … The Clippers and Grizzlies face off at 7:10 p.m. tonight … Tomorrow (Jan. 23) Nanaimo visits the Cowichan Valley Capitals in Duncan for a 5 p.m. game.

sports@nanaimobulletin.com



About the Author: Greg Sakaki

I have been in the community newspaper business for two decades, all of those years with Black Press Media.
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