The Campbell River Storm finally managed to dispatch the tenacious first-year VIJHL franchise Port Alberni Bombers by handing them a 4-1 defeat in Game 7 of the North Division playoff held at Campbell River’s Rod Brind’Amour Arena Tuesday, March 8.
The division leaders were pushed to the limit by the regular season fourth place finishers who were playing in their first season in the VIJHL. Riding on the heroics of Bombers netminder Callum Tung, Port Alberni had the Storm on the brink with the series lead after Game 5. The Storm however, showed their quality in the final two games defeating the Bombers 3-0 in Game 6 to keep their playoff hopes alive going into a Game 7 at home Tuesday night.
The Storm got off to a quick start with a goal by Jalen Price, his fifth of the series, at 2:42 in the first period on an assist from Nolan Corrado. The Bombers looked like they weren’t going to go away without a fight and tied the game up at 4:09 with an unassisted goal by Robbie Steel.
The Storm answered that goal quickly thanks to a power play goal by Shaw Cathcart with his first of the playoffs on assists from Davis Frank and Cody Savey at 5:50.
The second period saw no goals then Ben Coghlan got an insurance marker at 15:46 in the third period unassisted.
It was a pretty tame affair with only three minor penalties, two of them to the Storm. Bombers netminder Tung faced a barrage of shots again, 48 in total while his opponent Nick Peters in the Storm net faced 14 shots.
The Storm now go on to play the Oceanside Generals with the series beginning on Friday, March 11 at the Rod Brind’Amour Arena.
For the Bombers, nobody wants to lose a playoff but the franchise has to consider their first season a success making the playoffs and pushing the league leaders to seven games.