The Nanaimo Clippers couldn't get much going against the B.C. Hockey League's best team.
The Penticton Vees came into Frank Crane Arena on Friday night and blew out the Shipmen 6-1.
The game was 2-1 after one period, but Tyson Jost scored his second and third goals of the game in quick succession midway through the second period and the Clippers didn't muster much pushback the rest of the way as the neutral zone got clogged up.
"We needed more saves in the game, for sure, and then I thought that once the score got a little bit lopsided and they buckled it down, by then our heads were in left field. We just didn't finish strong," said Mike Vandekamp, Clippers coach.
He said the game hinged on key moments. Nanaimo had a good start to the second period and earned an early power-play opportunity, but couldn't get the game-tying goal.
"At 2-1, even at 3-1, it was an even game, but they happened to have gotten a couple more pucks past our goalie than we had with theirs," Vandekamp said. "And then we just didn't have the maturity to stick with that."
Jost, Vees captain, said he was really happy with his team's play in a game it was excited about.
"One of our game plans going in was just trying to get pucks to the net and create offence off that, and I think we did that really well…" he said. "We had some lucky bounces, but that all comes off hard work."
Luke Voltin, Dixon Bowen and Nicholas Jones had Penticton's other goals and Anthony Brodeur was the winning goalie as shots were 35-23 in favour of the Vees.
Sheldon Rempal had Nanaimo's only marker on the power play in the first period and Evan Johnson suffered the loss in goal.
GAME ON … The Clippers don't play again until Wednesday (Feb. 10), when they host the Cowichan Valley Capitals in a 7 p.m. start at Frank Crane Arena.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com