The midget A Cowichan Valley Thunder suffered a 6-2 setback at the hands of the Juan de Fuca Whalers at the Island Savings Centre on Saturday.
Gavin Spencer and bantam call-up Devyn Zunti scored for Cowichan, with Brody Black registering an assist.
The Whalers jumped out to a four-goal lead in the first period, but Thunder goalie Colin Jeffrey stepped up over the next two frames, holding JDF scoreless in the second and allowing just two in the third as his teammates tried to mount a comeback.
The team will have another home game on Monday, playing host to the Saanich Tigers at Kerry Park Arena.