Semi-Final Game 2 Post-Game Report: Vic 12 - NW 10

Apparently, 12 is the magic number with these two teams. In four of the five meetings between the New Westminster Salmonbellies and the Victoria Shamrocks this season, the winning team has finished with precisely 12 goals. Unfortunately for the Bellies, on July 30th, it was the Shamrocks hitting that number, taking Game 2 of the semi-final matchup 12–10 after a goaltending change shifted the momentum in Victoria’s favor.

The Salmonbellies came out strong, striking first with Mitch Jones opening the scoring at 7:39 of the first period. They followed up with power play markers from Tyler Pace at 13:56 and Will Malcom at 18:29 to build a commanding 3-0 lead. It wasn’t until Kyle Pepper put Victoria on the board with exactly one minute left in the first that the Shamrocks gained any traction, heading to the first intermission down 3-1.

The second period began with more pressure from New Westminster, as Haiden Dickson scored just 44 seconds in and Pace added his second at 2:50 to push the lead to 5-1. That was the end of the night for Victoria’s starting goalie Chris Origlieri, who was replaced by Cam Dunkerley. The switch proved to be the turning point of the game, as Dunkerley closed the door and earned third star honors with 30 saves on 35 shots.

Down 5-1, Victoria responded quickly. Pepper notched his second of the game three minutes later, followed by Zach Manns at 6:12. New Westminster briefly regained momentum when Jones scored at 6:21, making it 6-3. But from there, it was all Shamrocks, scoring six unanswered goals in the second period to take a 9-6 lead into the intermission. The goal surge included tallies from Andrew Kew, Jesse King twice, Clarke Petterson, Manns again, and Patrick Kaschalk.

Victoria added another early in the third from Will Johansen, extending the lead to 10-6. Phil Caputo pulled one back for the Salmonbellies at 4:14, but Marshal King answered soon after. New Westminster staged a late push with goals from Jones and Dickson to make it 11-9, but Petterson’s shorthanded strike with four minutes left put the game out of reach. Jones completed his four-goal night with a power-play marker before time expired, finalizing the score at 12-10.

It seems that the secret combination of physicality and discipline might determine the winner of this extremely close series. Both teams have scored on every power play of this series. And the minutes penalty minutes have not been egregious. In Game Two, both teams were assessed 11 penalty minutes, including a second-period fight between Elijah Gash and Adam Wiedemann at 10:20 that resulted in matching five-minute majors.

When it came to shots, New Westminster dominated, firing 58 shots compared to Victoria’s 45, including 26 in the third period alone. Despite the barrage, Dunkerley’s heroics sealed the win for the Shamrocks. In net for the Salmonbellies, Frank Scigliano allowed 11 goals on 43 shots for a .744 save percentage. Justin Geddie was pulled in briefly during the second period where he faced two shots, allowing one goal and making one save.

The three stars of the game were Clarke Petterson (Vic - 2G 3A), Mitch Jones (New West – 4G 3A), and Dunkerley (5 GA 30 Saves). Other notable Bellies’ performances included Tye Kurtz 6A, Haiden Dickson 2G 1A, Will Malcom 1G 2A, Tyler Pace 2G, and Phil Caputo 1G. Hamer-Jackson when 16-9 on face-offs.

The series is now tied at one apiece, setting up tonight’s crucial Game 3 (6:30 p.m. at Queen’s Park Arena), where both teams will battle to take the lead in the best-of-five series.