By Malcom Cooke
The Clippers put up a spirited fight but ultimately fell 6-4 to the Coquitlam Express on Saturday night. Despite trading goals early and entering the second period down 3-2, the Express pulled ahead midway through the game. Nanaimo battled back with contributions from Luke Lavery, who notched an impressive four points, but Coquitlam's timely scoring and strong goaltending from Andrew Ness secured their victory.
The Coquitlam Express wasted no time setting the tone, scoring on their first shot of the game to take an early 1-0 lead. The Nanaimo Clippers had the first powerplay opportunity but couldn’t capitalize. Midway through the period, the Clippers earned another chance with the man advantage, but disaster struck when the Express scored a short-handed goal to extend their lead to 2-0. Nanaimo responded on the same powerplay, with Dylan Kinch finding the back of the net to cut the deficit to 2-1. However, Coquitlam regained their two-goal cushion shortly after, chasing Clippers' goaltender Chazz Nixon from the game after he allowed three goals on just six shots. The Clippers fought back late in the period, making the most of their third power-play chance as Cole Lonsdale buried a goal to bring them within one, 3-2. A late penalty against Nanaimo left them starting the second period on the penalty kill. Shots in the opening frame favoured the Clippers 14-10, but they trailed by a goal heading into the intermission.
The second period was action-packed as the Clippers looked to claw their way back into the game. After killing off a penalty, the Clippers came close to tying the game in a chaotic scramble in front of the Express net but couldn’t find the back of the net. Midway through the frame, the Express capitalized on their momentum, extending their lead to 4-2. Express goaltender Andrew Ness came up big shortly after, making a critical save to deny the Clippers a chance to cut into the deficit. However, persistence paid off for Nanaimo as Makio Van Tassel appeared to score late in the period. Following a video review, the goal was confirmed, with Luke Lavery picking up his third assist of the night. The Clippers' celebrations were short-lived, as Coquitlam responded with a late goal to restore their two-goal cushion, ending the period with a 5-3 lead. Shots in the second period favored the Express 17-15.
The third period saw a determined effort from the Clippers as they tried to close the gap. Goaltender Otto Nuto came up big, making three high-danger saves to keep Nanaimo in the game. An early penalty threatened to derail their comeback hopes, but the Clippers' penalty kill came through to keep the deficit at two. Coquitlam then handed Nanaimo a lifeline with a too-many-men penalty. On the ensuing power play, Luke Lavery delivered yet again, scoring his fourth point of the night to pull the Clippers within one. With time winding down, Nanaimo pulled their goalie in a bid to tie the game. However, the Express capitalized on the empty net, scoring to secure a 6-4 victory. It was a valiant effort by the Clippers, with standout performances from Lavery and Nuto, but Coquitlam’s depth and opportunism proved too much in the end.
Luke Lavery took home the first star of the game. Mason Kesselring of the Express was named the second star. Dylan Kinch earned the third star of the game for his 3-point night. FortisBC Energy Player of the Game was given to Otto Nuto, who came into the game in relief.
The Clippers are back in action on January 10th when they take on the Powell River Kings. Tickets can be purchased at the Frank Crane box office on game day or at tickets.nanaimoclippers.com.
