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Cowichan Caps blanked 3-0 by Chilliwack in final home game

Winless streak reaches eight games in a tough stretch for the team
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Capitals goaltender Lukas Renaud makes a save in the first period of a game on Sunday, March 5. (Elena Rardon/Alberni Valley News)

The Cowichan Valley Capitals couldn’t find the scoring touch in their final home game of the 2022-23 B.C. Hockey League season.

The trend of a short supply of goals and wins during the last month continued for the Caps Saturday night at the Cowichan Community Centre Arena, as they were shut out 3-0 by the Chilliwack Chiefs.

The Caps are now 0-6-2 in the last eight games, with their last victory coming on Feb. 10 against Langley. They had their chances to break the winless streak against the Chiefs.

“Our P.K. (penalty killing) looked a lot better,” said Caps’ assistant coach Dan Whiteford. “Our power play got to be a bit better over the course of the game. Our lack of scoring depth is killing us.”

The results might not be there, but coach Mike Vandekamp and Whiteford can’t knock the players for their effort.

“In the last month and a half, I don’t think there’s been a game we’ve been outworked in,” said Whiteford.

Lukas Renaud, who was named the third star, played a strong game in the Caps’ net and kept his team in contention until the late stages with 32 saves. A Dylan Kinch goal at 7:44 of the second period was the only one Renaud yielded until the last two minutes of the game when Lucas Sorace scored an important insurance marker for the Chiefs.

A.J. Lacroix completed the scoring with an empty-net goal with 42 seconds remaining.

The Caps had 25 shots on Chilliwack netminder Lucas Szyszka, but couldn’t beat him.

Vandekamp only assumed the coaching duties in mid-November and Whiteford accepted an invitation to come on board as an assistant two weeks later.

“We tried to do the best we could to change the culture a little bit,” said Whiteford.

With the prospects of a new ownership group taking over, “I’m really excited,” Whiteford added, to build a contending team from the start of next season in September.

The Caps, last in the Coastal Division with a record of 10-34-3-2, finish the current campaign with two games at Powell River this weekend, March 17 and 18, and then three the following weekend on the Lower Mainland in Coquitlam March 24, Chilliwack March 25 and Surrey March 26.



Don Bodger

About the Author: Don Bodger

I've been a part of the newspaper industry since 1980 when I began on a part-time basis covering sports for the Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle.
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