Despite their second overtime loss in a row, the Nanaimo Clippers will soldier on in the B.C. Hockey League championship series, says one of the bench bosses.
Following a 2-1 double OT loss on the road to the Brooks Bandits in Game 2 of the Rogers BCHL Cup final this past weekend, the Nanaimo Clippers lost 2-1 in OT in Game 3 at Frank Crane Arena in Nanaimo, B.C. on Tuesday, May 19.
Tanner Bruender opened the scoring for Nanaimo in its first home game of the final, but Isaac Johnson scored for Brooks early in the third before Jack Rosensteel scored the winner in the extra frame.
Goalie Eliot Séguin-Lescarbeau stopped 32 of 34 shots in the loss while Zach Zahara stopped 36 of 37 for Brooks.
Henry Acres, Clippers’ assistant coach, said the team will maintain its focus for Game 4.
“It’s a dog fight, you know, it’s two really good teams that are evenly matched, so it comes down to one shot and who makes less mistakes, and the other team capitalizing,” he told the News Bulletin post-game. “So of course, our group has a strong belief in itself – we’ll bounce back [tonight].”
Bruender scored his goal on a sharp angle and it could be something the team looks at more going into the next game, the coach said.
“That was a bang-bang play, where he just threw it back,” said Acres. “It was a great read by Tanner on that that play, so you have to do whatever you can to get the goalie moving, get him out of position to be able to get pucks behind them.”
Acres expects the team will put the two OT losses behind them and be ready for tonight’s game.
“They’re teenagers with their emotions in the moment,” said Acres. “Of course they’re not happy but … it’s a resilient group, and [tonight] they’ll be ready to go.”
Game 4 of the Rogers BCHL Cup final goes Wednesday, May 20 at Frank Crane Arena – puck drop is 7 p.m.
For tickets, go to https://tickets.nanaimoclippers.com.