4 Straight Bucs Goals And Nanaimo Takes Game 3

Game 3 is the first contest at the Pirate Ship in Nanaimo. Much like games 1 and 2 in Victoria, the Bucs were short-handed early. Two games in a row the Buccaneers had warm-up penalties, game 3 saw them take a penalty only 33 seconds into the game.

The Cougars made the Bucs pay for it too. Only 1:02 into the game the Cougars jumped out to a 1-0 lead on the Mateo Albinati power play marker. Foster Martin made it 2-0 only 32 seconds after that. The rest of the period was all Victoria too. It looked like Nanaimo was going to fold.

Of course a team at talented as Nanaimo didn’t. With a quick 3-0 goal early in the second by Foster Martin the Cougars were off to the races. Right up until the Buccaneers turned it on.  Nanaimo would collect goals from Dawson Heathcote and Ben Kotylak had the home team within 1 heading into the 2nd intermission.

This game, much like the last, was penalty filled. 17 minors in the first 2 periods alone. This would bite the Cougars in the 3rd as the Buccaneers erased the 3-0 lead completely on the Patton goal at 1:30 of the 3rd, 4 on 4. Furious play back and forth saw plenty of chances both ways. But it was Nanaimo that looked to be dominating the play. Sikkes had to make many spectacular saves as the Buccaneers started pouring on pressure after their tying goal.

At the media time out midway through the 3rd the shots were 34-19 Nanaimo. They looked to hold all the pressure. On the first faceoff after the time out Rogers buried a wrist shot over the shoulder of Sikkes and the Bucs were up 4-3.

With just a couple minutes remaining, Cougars down by 1 the Cougars tried clawing back. Unfortunately they ran out of time. Nanaimo on the back of 4 unanswered goals takes game 3 and the series lead. The Buccaneers leads the series 2-1

Game 4 goes tomorrow in Nanaimo, 730pm at the Pirate Ship.