A low-scoring affair at the Island Savings Centre in Duncan wound up in favour of the home side with the Cowichan Valley Capitals upending the Surrey Eagles 2-1 in overtime to move a point up on them in the standings.
Cowichan's Dylan Rota opened the scoring early in the first and Surrey's Ben Greiner tied it early in the second. That was all the scoring in regulation and in OT, a big glove save by Caps goalie Derek Dun off a shot from the slot by Robert Lindores led to the winning goal by Darrin Robak.
Devin Gannon led a 3-on-2 attack and with Troy Paterson streaking to the net, Gannon found trailer Robak who beat Andrew Hunt low to the blocker side for the winner. Gannon was 1st Star while Dun took 2nd and Hunt 3rd.
In Trail, the Salmon Arm SilverBacks used a five-goal second period to earn their first win of the season 6-4 over the Smoke Eaters. The 'Backs trailed 2-1 after one but got two goals in the second from Devin Muller and others from Alex Gillies, Brett Knowles and Bryce Gervais to take control. Nicholas Wong and Adam Fares scored in the third for Trail.
The Vernon Vipers maintained their perfect start to the season, moving to 6-0 with a 4-1 win over the visiting Chilliwack Chiefs. After a scoreless first, Adam Tambellini and Darren Nowick gave Vernon a 2-0 lead going into the third. Colton Sparrow made it 3-0 before Josh Hansen got Chilliwack on the board and Alex Hagen rounded out the Vipers scoring.
Also undefeated are the Powell River Kings who scored a 4-1 home win over the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Jon Jutzi opened the scoring for the Kings early in the second and Steven Schmidt added a shorthanded tally at 13:05. Artsiom Kalashnikov go the only 'Dogs goal late in the second but Schmidt and Evan Richardson tallied in the third for Powell River.
Travis St. Denis opened up a two-point lead atop the BCHL scoring table with a three-point night in Prince George as the Penticton Vees defeated the Spruce Kings 5-2. St. Denis set up Joey Benik's opening goal early in the second and then scored one himself shortly after. He made it 3-0 early in the third but Myles Fitzgerald and Paul De Jersey got PG within two. Mario Lucia scored the insurance goal and Ryan Reilly got an empty-netter.
A tight contest in Coquitlam tilted in favour of the Express when they scored twice in a five-minute power play in the third to defeat the Langley Rivermen 6-3. Langley's Mario Puskarich and Coquitlam's Alex Petan traded goals in the first and Petan completed a hat trick in the second but it was just 4-3 going into the third. With Ryan Bakken sent off for cross-checking, Malcolm McKinney and Coda Engbar iced it for Coquitlam.
In Nanaimo, the Clippers exploded out of the gates with a four-goal first period but the Victoria Grizzlies clawed back within one early in the third on a goal by Wesley Myron. 1st Star Trevor Ftizgerald set up an insurance tally by Jesse Neher not long after that and Kyle Kramer's empty-netter made for a 7-4 final.
In Westside, the Warriors took at 3-0 lead into the late stages of the second but a goal by Brent Fletcher got the Merritt Centennials within two going into the third. Garrett Skrbich's goal gave the Warriors the cushion they'd need as Merritt's Richard Sabourin and Westside's Travis Blanleil exchanged goals in the last minute.
