Kevin Rothbauer Citizen
The Kerry Park Islanders were set to do some soul-searching this week after they dropped to third in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League’s South Division with a 4-1 loss to the Westshore Wolves last Saturday.
“I was disappointed with the performance,” Islanders owner Mark Osmond said. “We’ll be having some meetings on Tuesday with the players.”
Westshore scored twice in the first period and were up 3-0 in the second before Kerry Park rookie Parker Ellis got his team on the board. The Wolves shut the Isles down from there on and scored one more of their own in the third.
Kerry Park goalie Chase Anderson stopped 29 of 33 shots, while former Islanders backstop Leighton Williams turned back 26 of 27 shots.
“I don’t understand it,” Osmond said. “They practiced well, they had a play, and then you can tell from the start of the game that some players just weren’t into it.”
The Isles are still hoping to finish the season in second place, where they can host a first-round series, or third, where they can at least avoid facing the juggernaut Victoria Cougars in the first round. After last weekend, they have 44 points, tied with the Peninsula Panthers and two points back of the Wolves.
The good news is that the Isles have four games left to play, while the teams they are jostling with only have three remaining on their slates.
“It’s the boys’ decision who they get to play,” Osmond said. “It’s up to them to play the games.”
This Friday, the Isles will visit the Saanich Braves, who are last in the South Division and out of the playoff picture. On Saturday, they will be at home to the Cougars with a 7:30 p.m. start.