Glacier Kings Take Perfect Road Record Into Westshore Against the League’s Only Unbeaten Team

Something has to give on Friday night. The Comox Valley Glacier Kings are a perfect 4-0-0-0 on the road this season. The Westshore Wolves are perfect, period. At 11-0-0-0, they’re the only unbeaten team in the VIJHL, and they host the Kings at 7:30 PM.

Comox Valley comes in looking to bounce back. Monday’s 7-5 Thanksgiving loss to Port Alberni snapped a two-game winning streak and dropped the Kings to 5-6-0-0, sixth in a tightly packed North Division and two points back of Campbell River and Port Alberni. Five of the Kings’ six losses have come at home, and away from the Sports Centre they’ve been a different team.

Westshore has been close to untouchable. The Wolves lead the league with 22 points, are 5-0 at home and 6-0 on the road, and have won all five of their one-goal games. They’re also 10-0 when leading after two periods. Their last three wins have been tight ones, including a 2-1 decision over Comox Valley at the Sports Centre on October 3. In that one, Mathias Ramos-Gadbois made 38 saves, Ander Reyes made 45 at the other end, and Owen Downey scored the Kings’ only goal.

The Wolves’ offence runs through Trace Anderson and Noah Gebicki. Anderson (6G, 12A) is third in league scoring with 18 points, has a point in every game he’s played this season, and is tied for the league lead with three game-winning goals. Gebicki (4G, 12A) also has a point in every one of his 10 games. One more name to watch is a familiar one: Jasper Fellbaum, a Courtenay product, leads the VIJHL with four power-play goals and has 12 points in nine games.

In goal, Oskar Ponomarev has handled most of the work, going 8-0 with a 2.22 GAA and .932 save percentage. Ramos-Gadbois is 2-0 with a .951 save percentage.

This matchup features the league’s two best penalty-killing teams. Comox Valley leads the VIJHL at 91.4 percent, with Westshore second at 88.1 percent. The Wolves have been especially tough to crack at home, allowing just one power-play goal in 20 chances. Something will have to give there too, because the Glacier Kings now have the league’s top power play at 30.6 percent.

Westin Churchill has moved into the team scoring lead with 13 points (4G, 9A), 11th in the league, with Leon Mikhalchuk (4G, 8A) right behind him. Ethan Gobel is the hottest Glacier King. He has goals in three straight games, the longest active goal streak in the league, and eight points (4G, 4A) in just four games since joining the lineup. Rookie Cruze Kopeck’s two power-play goals still lead all league defencemen.

In goal, Anthony Ganoung ranks second in the VIJHL with a .953 save percentage, while Reyes has already shown he can stand up to this Westshore team.

History offers the Kings some hope. Over the last five seasons, Comox Valley is 4-2 in Westshore’s building. The first period will matter, though. The Glacier Kings are 0-6 when trailing after one, and Westshore has never trailed after two periods this season.

Both teams are back in action Saturday. The Glacier Kings host Peninsula at 6:30 PM, while the Wolves visit Kerry Park.