The Cowichan Valley Capitals’ B.C Hockey League nseason came to an end on Wednesday night with a 7-2 loss to the Alberni Valley Bulldogs in Game 4 of the teams’ first-round playoff series.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal by Stephen Castagna late in the first period. Castagna then scored two powerplay goals and Emanuelson Charbonneau and Josh Van Unen also found the net as Alberni opened the second with four goals in six and a half minutes. Defenceman Mason Croucher got the Caps on the board with 4:10 left in the middle frame.
Shane LaVelle cut the Bulldogs’ lead to three at 12:55 of the third, but Chase Klassen and Brandon Buhr scored into the empty net to ice Alberni’s victory.
The Bulldogs chased Cowichan’s regular-season MVP, goalie McCoy Bidewell, with five goals on 18 shots. Backup Evan May turned aside all 12 shots he faced over the remainder of the match. Alberni’s Hobie Hedquist. a finalist for the BCHL’s top goaltender award this season, made 20 saves on 22 shots.
The Bulldogs will wait to find out their second-round opponent as teams are reseeded following the conclusion of the first round.
