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Kerry Park Islanders prevail 2-1 in cross-town rivalry game

Lake Cowichan goes 0-2 at home over the weekend
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Lake Cowichan Kraken captain Sukhraj Narwal sends Kerry Park’s Nick Hovde for a ride during cross-town rivalry VIJHL hockey action Sunday night at the Cowichan Lake Sports Arena. (Todd Blumel photo)

The Kerry Park Islanders played one game last week and it was on Sunday evening, Jan. 22 against cross-town rivals, the Lake Cowichan Kraken.

“We had just the one game but it was a big one in the standings and had a good playoff feel to it,” said Islanders head coach Brian Passmore.

The Kraken had fallen to the Oceanside Generals 5-2 at home two nights before and were looking to regroup when Kerry Park rolled into town.

“We started the game sluggish,” Passmore noted. So, too, did the Kraken. Despite nine shots for the home team and eight for the visitors in the first period, no goals were recorded. In fact, it took more than half the game of back and forth action for a goal to be scored.

Lake Cowichan’s Mitchell Billings broke the scoring open at 16:10 of the second period off an Aiden Eddy play. It was Billings’s seventh on the year and Eddy’s 12th assist.

That was it for the Kraken’s scoring, however, as the Islanders took over.

“We played a really good second half of the game to win the game,” Passmore said. “Our top two goal-scorers each came up with big goals in the game and our defence played solid.”

Kerry Park forwards Carson Brown and Aleko Sdrakas scored for the Islanders in the third period to win the game 2-1. Islanders forward Ethan Taylor and defender Keagan Abbott both assisted on both goals.

The Kraken had their chances, out-shooting Kerry Park 36-26 over the course of the game with shots on goal numbers increasing each period. Ultimately, the Isles prevailed by a 2-1 score.

“We had a huge penalty kill near the end of the game and we held onto the win,” Passmore said.

Kerry Park goalie Eric Young was the game’s first start for saving 35 of 36 shots.

”Our goaltender was outstanding in the game,” Passmore said. “It was a good result for our team as we were missing some key players to injury and suspension. We get those players back now into this week.”

Two nights before the Kraken’s game against Oceanside was not as evenly matched.

The Generals outshot the Kraken 40-28 and five of those shots hit the back of the net. Lake Cowichan only scored twice: one in the second period when Anthony Wilson converted on a play from Sukhraj Narwal and Kyler Smith, and then again at 17:39 of the third when Gavin Mastrodonato scored from Smith and Andrew White.

The goals had brought the team to within one of Oceanside but a goal 30 seconds after Lake Cowichan’s second of the game, and then an empty netter put it out of reach.

The Kraken play Wednesday, Jan. 25 against the Westshore Wolves at the Q Centre but that result wasn’t available by press time.

Kerry Park doesn’t play at home again until Feb. 5 — a 5:30 p.m. contest against the Saanich Predators, but they do visit the Port Alberni Multiplex and the Bombers on Jan. 27.



Sarah Simpson

About the Author: Sarah Simpson

I started my time with Black Press Media as an intern, before joining the Citizen in the summer of 2004.
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