Bombers Outwork Glacier Kings for 3-2 Win

Port Alberni came to Courtenay with something to prove and left with the win. Head coach Troy Newans said before the game that the Bombers felt they’d been outworked in Friday’s 5-0 loss to Oceanside, and the message showed on the ice. The Bombers beat the Comox Valley Glacier Kings 3-2 at the Sports Centre behind a forecheck that dictated most of the night.

The Kings didn’t play badly, but Port Alberni was the harder-working team throughout, especially over the first 40 minutes. Its forecheck kept forcing turnovers in the Kings’ end, which produced sustained offensive-zone time. Comox Valley had moments, but nothing it could sustain the way the Bombers did. Port Alberni outshot the Kings 44-32, including 33-18 through two periods.

Ivan Ponomarev opened the scoring at 17:09 of the first, finishing a feed from Kilian Alves Pereira and Joel Dorn. Kyle Mori made it 2-0 at 3:03 of the second. Trevor Swanson answered at 8:50 with his first goal of the year, from Tee Hagel and Leon Mikhalchuk, to make it 2-1. Between those goals, Ryan Christenson and Westin Churchill dropped the gloves at 3:08.

The Kings tied it in the third. Collin Lee scored his third of the season on the power play at 5:49, 48 seconds after Ben Fortier went off for hooking, with assists from Dexter Jung and Tegan Clayton. The Bombers answered 88 seconds later. Marton Loschnig scored his first of the season at 7:17, from Ponomarev and Preston Dorusak, and it stood as the winner.

A Costly Penalty Stalls the Comeback

The Kings still had time, and the game was starting to tilt their way. With six minutes left and Comox Valley trailing by a goal, they were building through the forecheck and gaining control, with a real push for the tying goal taking shape.

Then Spencer Behnsen took an undisciplined slashing minor at 14:00, in the neutral zone and behind the play, on Alves Pereira. The penalty took the wind out of the Kings’ comeback. Port Alberni didn’t score on the power play, going 0-for-1, but it held possession for most of the rest of the game and spent the closing minutes largely in the Kings’ end.

Ander Reyes stopped 41 of 44 shots and was named the game’s second star. Ponomarev (1G, 1A) took first star and Alves Pereira (1A) took third. Ethan Losier made 30 saves for the win.

The two hometown players we highlighted in the preview both left their mark. Lee’s goal gave him five points on the season (3G, 2A), and Dorn’s assist on the opening goal gave him five as well (2G, 3A).

The Kings fall to 1-3-0-0 and 0-3-0-0 at home. Port Alberni improves to 2-2-1. Comox Valley visits Lake Cowichan on Friday and hosts Oceanside next Saturday, and the teams meet again October 9 in Port Alberni.