Depleted Grizzlies get valuable point

Minus their two top pointproducers, the Victoria Grizzlies gave the league-leading Trail Smoke Eaters a run for their money on Sunday afternoon at The Q Centre.

But Spencer McLean’s hattrick goal, with just nine seconds remaining in the first overtime period, allowed the visiting Smoke Eaters to escape with a 4-3 win.

T.J. Friedmann, Drayson Pears and Justin Michaelian had presented the host Grizzlies with a 3-1 lead just 5:18 into the second period.

Victoria couldn’t quite fend off the potent Trail offence, however, as McLean (with his second) cut it to 3-2 at 13:20 of the middle frame. Bryce Anderson tied it six minutes later. After a scoreless third, Trail pounced on a Grizzlies’ turnover late in the 4-on-4 overtime session.

The Grizzlies were without leading scorer Alex Newhook (at the World U-17 Hockey Challenge) and captain Lucas Clark (upper body injury). The two have 21 and 17 points, respectively, for Victoria, which has now lost four straight games on home ice, two in overtime and two by shutouts.

Grizzlies goalie Zack Rose made 38 saves in the loss, while Brandon Wells stopped 30 for Trail.

Pears and Dwayne Finnson each collected two assists for Victoria, which next plays Friday at Alberni Valley before returning home Saturday to play host to the Island Division-leading Powell River Kings.

At 10-8-3-0, the Grizzlies are three points behind the 12-4-1-1 Kings, who have three games in hand.

The Nanaimo Clippers, who edged Cowichan Valley 2-1 on Sunday, are three points back of Victoria with one game in hand, while Alberni Valley sits another two points further behind, also having played one game less than the Grizzlies.

Trail improves to 16-4-1-0 with the Sunday win, which was the third victory in three straight days for the smokin’ hot Smoke Eaters, who have also won nine of their last 10.

IN THE DEN: Newhook and Grizzlies teammate Jacson Alexander were both kept off the scoresheet on Sunday as Team Canada Black edged Canada White 1-0 in their first game of the World U-17 Hockey Challenge. The two 16-year-old Grizzlies and their Canada Black teammates were at it again Monday night, beating the Czech Republic 5-0 in Dawson Creek. Newhook had a goal and two assists for the winning side.