Langley’s Darius Bachler keeps pace with a rushing Victoria player during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Ontario’s Brock Cummings was the first to jump into the path of a Victoria shot during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Alberta’s Matthew Swanson fires a shot at the net during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Alberta’s Matthew Swanson rushes the puck up the ice at the net during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Ontario’s Brock Cummings was the first to jump into the path of a Victoria shot during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Langley’s Darius Bachler keeps pace with a rushing Victoria player during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Ontario’s Brock Cummings was the first to jump into the path of a Victoria shot during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Alberta’s Matthew Swanson fires a shot at the net during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Alberta’s Matthew Swanson rushes the puck up the ice at the net during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Ontario’s Brock Cummings was the first to jump into the path of a Victoria shot during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
Langley’s Darius Bachler keeps pace with a rushing Victoria player during exhibition play between the Cowichan Valley Capitals and Victoria Grizzlies at the Cowichan Arena on Tuesday night, Sept. 12. (Sarah Simpson/Citizen)
After beginning their training camp on Sept. 4, the Cowichan Valley Capitals had just five days of training before kicking off their 2023 BCHL exhibition season at the Q Centre against the Victoria Grizzlies this past Saturday night.
The Caps followed that game up with a home tilt against the very same team on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at the Cowichan Arena.
Though the logos on the jerseys were the same, some of the players were different as coaches were still getting a feel for their player pools in their first two of just five pre-season competitions.
Five different Capitals scored in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Grizzlies on the first night of the hone-and-home set.
Burnaby’s Dryden Kuramoto got Cowichan on the board three quarters of the way into the first period to cut Victoria’s three-goal lead to two.
Just over two minutes later Brock Cummings, of Mississauga, Ont. netted a powerplay marker to bring Cowichan to within one goal at the first intermission.
The Caps kept rolling on special teams with Rancho Palos Verdes, California product Jean-Sebastien Pack adding to Cowichan’s total, tying the game up with the team’s second goal with the man advantage.
Fairfield, Connecticut’s Ronan O’Donnell, a Yale University prospect for the 2023/26 season, gave the Caps the lead just 34 second later.
The lone third-period goal came from Victoria’s Luc Pelletier, his second of the game, which sent it to overtime.
It took 6:10 for Kanata, Ont. forward Kent Moors to score the game-winner for Cowichan.
Of note, London, Ont. product Ethan Dekay, who’s committed to Michigan Tech for the 2024/25 season, had three assists in the contest.
The following night returnee Cole Melady scored for Cowichan but it wasn’t enough and the Caps fell 3-1 on home ice despite a strong showing. Victoria’s final goal was into an empty net with 18 seconds remaining in the contest.
The Capitals were slated to face the Nanaimo Clippers at Frank Crane Arena Wednesday night but that score wasn’t available at press time.
The Caps open the season on the road on Sept. 22 against Nanaimo.
Cowichan’s home opener, also against the Clippers, is slated for a 6 p.m. puck drop the following night, Sept. 23. Those thinking of attending may be convinced to go knowing that the Lawson Kelly Band is playing a concert at 4:30 p.m. to rev up the fans, and that three fans will be picked in the first intermission to have a chance to shoot-to-win a $50,000 cash prize during the second intermission.
