A huge second period lifted the Victoria Shamrocks to a 12–10 win over the New Westminster Salmonbellies on Wednesday night, helping them to tie up their playoff series at one game apiece.
New Westminster led 3–1 after the first period, but Victoria exploded for eight goals in the second, including a seven-goal run spanning the second and third frames.
Clarke Petterson led the Shamrocks with two goals and three assists, while Zach Manns, Kyle Pepper, and Jesse King each added a pair of goals.
For New Westminster, Mitch Jones had four goals and three assists, while Tye Kurtz chipped in with six helpers. Haiden Dickson and Tyler Pace each scored twice for the Salmonbellies.
All four goaltenders saw action. Chris Origlieri started for Victoria, allowing five goals on 23 shots before being replaced by Cam Dunkerley, who gave up five more goals on 35 shots.
Frank Scigliano started for New Westminster but was briefly pulled after allowing six goals. Justin Geddie came in and gave up one goal on two shots before Scigliano returned to finish the game.
Slow Start for Victoria
It wasn’t the start the Shamrocks hoped for, as New Westminster jumped out to a 3–0 lead.
Jones opened the scoring at 7:39 off a transition pass from Tony Malcom. After Elijah Gash was called for checking from behind, Pace capitalized on the power play at 13:56.
Will Johansen then took a holding penalty as he dragged down Jones, who was driving to the net. On the ensuing power play, Will Malcom scored with 1:31 left in the first.
Pepper put Victoria on the board with one minute remaining, and the Shamrocks trailed 3–1 at the break.
Shamrocks Battle Back
New Westminster extended its lead just 44 seconds into the second period when Dickson bounced a shot through a screen. Pace added another with a spin move and crease dive at 2:50, making it 5–1 and ending Origlieri’s night.
Pepper answered with a deflected power-play goal at 5:27, followed by a howitzer from Manns at 6:12 to make it 5–3.
Just nine seconds later, Tyrell Hamer-Jackson won the faceoff clean and got the ball to Jones, who restored a three-goal cushion for New West.
Then the wheels fell off for the Salmonbellies, as Victoria scored seven unanswered.
Kew struck on the power play at 8:13, followed by another man-advantage goal from Jesse King at 10:36 — the 12th consecutive power-play goal between the two teams.
Petterson then scored to tie up the game 6–6 off a feed from Dallas Wade, prompting New West to pull Scigliano for Geddie.
Manns beat Geddie from the outside at 13:47 to give Victoria the lead, and Scigliano returned to the crease.
Jesse King added to the run at 15:48, and Patrick Kaschalk bounced one in with 3:54 remaining to make it 9–6 after two.
Shamrocks Hold On to Tie Up the Series
Victoria kept the momentum going in the third. Johansen scored in transition at 2:04 to make it 10–6.
Phil Caputo got one back for New West at 4:14, but Marshall King responded with a diving goal at 6:35 to make it 11–7.
Jones rifled one in off a pass from Kurtz at 8:57, and Dickson followed with a drive to the net to close the gap to 11–9.
Petterson buried a shorthanded rebound with 3:56 left, extending Victoria’s lead to 12–9.
Jones netted a power-play goal with 2:58 remaining, but the Salmonbellies couldn’t find the equalizer as Victoria held on to tie up the series with a 12–10 victory.
Top Scorers
Victoria Shamrocks
- Clarke Petterson: 2g, 3a
- Zach Manns: 2g, 2a
- Marshall King: 1g, 3a
New Westminster Salmonbellies
- Mitch Jones: 4g, 3a
- Tye Kurtz: 6a
- Haiden Dickson: 2g, 1a
- Will Malcom: 1g, 2a
Three Stars
- Clarke Petterson, Victoria Shamrocks
- Mitch Jones, New Westminster Salmonbellies
- Cam Dunkerley, Victoria Shamrocks
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