Islanders Snap Two-Game Losing Streak

Both the Delta Islanders and the Nanaimo Timbermen are on losing streaks, but at Sungod Arena tonight, one team will snap their losing streak while the other team continues.

The first period didn't start off well for the Timbermen as DJ Saari received two minutes for hooking at :35. The Islanders power play went to work and Eli McLaughlin scored his 36th goal of the season, tying Salmonbellies' Johnny Pearson for first in goals.

The Timbermen tied the game up less than a minute later when Dane Sorensen scored, but then Alex McLeod got two minutes for high sticking at 4:23, which led to another McLaughlin power play goal to give the Islanders a 2-1 lead.

The Timbermen continued to get into penalty trouble with a holding and too many men penalty, but the Islanders were unable to take advantage of being a man up.

The Islanders received their first penalty of the game at 13:05 when Sam Klingsporn got four minute for checking from behind, but the Timbermen couldn't get any quality scoring chances and it got worse for them when Jonathan Phillips scored shorthanded at 14:32 to make it 3-1 Islanders.

Just before the first period ended, Chase Fraser finished off a great passing play to give the Islanders a 4-1 lead heading into the second period.

It looks like the Timbermen got their game plan sorted out at the intermission because the second period started extremely well for them. Goals from Justin DaSilva, Sorensen and Cole Kryworuchka by 3:15 evened up the game at 4-4. The three quick goals prompted a goalie change for the Islanders as Matt Keith took over for Ryland Hood.

The Islanders got their rhythm going again at 9:08 when Taylor Northway scored, followed by Mclaughlin's third of the game to make it 6-4 Islanders.

Kryworuchka scored his second of the game at 14:04 to cut the Islanders lead to 1 and then Sorensen notched his third of the game on an empty net. Yes, an empty net. Islanders' goaltender Keith was trying to do too much with the ball behind the net and he ended up coughing the ball up right to Sorensen.

The Timbermen and Islanders exchanged a goal each before the second period ended and both teams headed into the locker room at 7-7.

McLaughlin continued his goal scoring into the third period when he scored his fourth and fifth of the game, with the fifth being his third power play of the game. That power play existed due to a slashing penalty by DJ Saari where he also received a game misconduct.

Frustration boiled over for the Timbermen or maybe it was just Owen Barker as he received two minutes each for roughing, slashing and unsportsmanlike at 5:40, giving the Islanders a 6-minute power play.

Luckily for the Timbermen, the Islanders couldn't generate any scoring chances and Reece Callies even ended up with a slashing penalty in between the lengthy power play.

At 14:35, Cody Short received four minutes for slashing, giving the Islanders an opportunity to put the Timbermen away. With time running down, Timbermen's goaltender Peter Dubenski was looking towards the bench to see if he was getting pulled and as he inched closer and closer to the bench, Islanders' Alex Morghese went in on a breakaway and scored, giving the Islanders a 10-7 lead and one angry Dubenski.

There was still no quitting for the Timbermen as Barker scored at 17:58 to cut the Islanders lead to two, but then Fraser scored his third of the game to get that three-goal lead back for the Islanders. The Timbermen scored another at 19:22, but it was too little too late for the Timbermen. After the goal, Islanders' Klingsporn and Timbermens' Alex McDougall dropped the gloves and connected on some punches, but it didn't affect the scoreboard as the Islanders win the game 11-9.

Three stars of the game
1. Delta - Eli McLaughlin - 5 goals
2. Delta - Chase Fraser - 3 goals, 2 assists
3. Nanaimo - Dane Sorensen - 3 goals, 2 assists

The Timbermen are right back at it tomorrow evening against the New Westminster Salmonbellies, while the Islanders get a week off before their next game against the Port Coquitlam Saints on Saturday, June 28.