A banged-up and depleted Victoria Grizzlies team managed to claw out a victory in an all-Island B.C. Hockey League battle against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs on Friday night at The Q Centre.
The Grizzlies, minus captain Jacksenn Hungle, forward Julian Cull and defenceman Daniel D’Alessandro to injury and veteran forward Ryan Watt to suspension, got goals from NCAA Boston College committed Tobias Pitka in the first period, Yale University-bound Tom Molson in the second frame and Landon Mackie into the empty net in the third to come away with a 3-0 win.
Pitka pounced on a Molson rebound and beat Bulldogs goaltender Ryder Shea with just 45 seconds left in the opening period.
Molson finished off a nice feed from Alex Hebblethwaite with 34 seconds remaining in the second period.
Veteran netminder Oliver Auyeung-Ashton did the rest for the Grizzlies (9-5-2-0), stopping all 28 shots he faced for his first shutout of the season and improving his record to a perfect 5-0.
Shea made 24 saves for the Bulldogs (10-5-1-0).
The Grizzlies face another Island rival tonight as the Nanaimo Clippers visit The Q Centre for a 6 p.m. start. The Clippers beat the Langley Rivermen 2-1 in overtime on Friday.
Victoria then heads back out on the road next weekend with visits to Surrey on Friday to face the Eagles, and then Coquitlam on Saturday to take on the Express.
