With one game last week postponed due to weather, the Kerry Park Islanders ended up playing only once on the weekend, in a 6-4 loss at home against the Westshore Wolves on Saturday night.
The Isles are chasing the Wolves in the Vancouver Island Junior Hockey League’s playoff race, but missed a chance to make up some ground.
The Isles kept pace with the Wolves in the early going, and staked themselves to a 2-1 lead just after the midway point of the first period, but gave up four in a row before mounting a bit of a comeback down the stretch.
The Wolves opened the scoring at 8:32 of the first period, but Kerry Park captain Matt Baird evened the score 30 seconds later, and Jackson Egan put the Isles in front with a shorthanded goal a minute and 16 seconds after that. The Wolves scored three times between 15:15 and 16:17 of the same period and led 4-2 after 20 minutes.
The Wolves scored again at 17:56 of the second, and Teddy Feng answered back for the Isles just over a minute later with his first career VIJHL goal. Westshore added one more in the third, and Brady Estabrook potted his team-leading 17th of the season as the Isles made a late push to tie the score.
Egan finished the night with a goal and an assist, while defenceman Marko Tokic had two helpers. Dryden DeMelo made 33 saves as the Isles were outshot 39-27.
With 15 games remaining, the Isles now trail the Wolves by 10 points in the battle for third in the South Division and a guaranteed playoff berth. They are clinging to a wildcard spot, one point back of the Lake Cowichan Kraken and two ahead of the Port Alberni Bombers.
The team will travel to Victoria on Thursday to face the Cougars and Saanich on Friday to face the Predators. The Isles will return home on Saturday against Bombers at 7:30 p.m.
