The Nanaimo Clippers closed out the month with a shutout win. The Clips scored three times in the third period and sailed past the Trail Smoke Eaters 5-0 on Sunday afternoon at Frank Crane Arena.
"Anytime you get a shutout is a good game," said Mike Vandekamp, Clippers coach. "We played well, stuck with it."
The score was 2-0 through two periods and then the Shipmen scored a short-handed goal five minutes into the third that put the game firmly in their grip. Korey Morgan made a fine solo rush, getting the goalie out of position and sliding the puck to a trailing Jacob Hanlon, who had a wide-open net to shoot at.
The Clips iced the win with a couple of power play goals; first Scott Prier blasted home a point shot and then Devin Brosseau bounced one in off Trail's goalie from a bad angle.
Taylor Grobowski and Austin Dick scored Nanaimo's other goals and Jayson Argue registered the shutout as his team outshot the Smoke Eaters 44-29.
In some Sunday matinees, the Clippers have had trouble finding their legs, but that wasn't the case this weekend.
"We were really up on the bench no matter what was going on out on the ice," said Hanlon, the game's first star with three points. "Our energy was just great. We kept pushing and pushing."
The win brought Nanaimo's record back to .500 after an uneven performance in a 5-4 overtime loss against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs last Wednesday over the hump and a better effort, albeit a 5-3 loss, to the Victoria Grizzlies on Friday down the Malahat.
"Lately we've played pretty good … I think we're starting to become more consistent," Vandekamp said. "It's not always just the wins and the losses, either, it's just about how we play."
ICE CHIPS … On Friday, Sheldon Rempal had a goal and two assists for the Clippers and Morgan and Brendan Taylor scored Nanaimo's other goals. Argue made 28 saves in the loss … The Clippers play road games on three straight days starting Friday (Nov. 1) against the Powell River Kings. Next home action for the Clips isn't until Nov. 8, when the Bulldogs visit Frank Crane for a 7 p.m. game.
sports@nanaimobulletin.com