The playoffs started with a furious comeback attempt by the junior A Nanaimo Timbermen.
The T-men dropped Game 1 of their best-of-five series against the Langley Thunder by a 14-13 score on Saturday at Frank Crane Arena, then lost Game 2 on the road, 15-11.
In Game 1, Langley scored 11 straight goals during the second period and led the game 13-7 going into the third, but Nanaimo kept the play in the attacking zone for most of the third period and chipped away at the visitors’ lead.
The Timbermen scored the last five goals of the game and a disallowed goal and a couple of posts were all that kept the T-men from tying things in the dying minutes.
Ryan Sheridan led the T-men with five goals and an assist, Andrew Bowman scored a hat trick and Easton Ong scored twice. Justin Geddie and Colby Bowman both saw time in Nanaimo’s crease.
For the Thunder, Stuart Phillips scored six goals and added a pair of assists and Kyle Brunsch scored four times. Brayden Wandler tended goal for Langley.
In Game 2, the T-men got within one goal in the third period but couldn’t find a game-tying marker and the Thunder put it away.
Jacob Dunbar and Andrew Bowman scored hat tricks for the Timbermen, Sheridan had a goal and three assists and Arthur Miller scored a pair. Geddie suffered the loss.
For the Thunder, Brunch had five goals and two assists and Phillips had three and three. Wandler was the winning goalie.
GAME ON … Game 3 will be at at Frank Crane Arena on Saturday, July 23, at 4 p.m.
READ ALSO: Junior A Timbermen earn playoff bye into B.C. semifinals
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter