RBC Results

Press Release

VICTORIA, B.C. – Much to the delight of the hometown faithful, the Victoria Grizzlies are in the win column at the 2009 RBC Cup.

Twenty-four hours after a heartbreaking opening game loss to the Humboldt Broncos, the Grizzlies earned the all-important first victory at the National Junior A Championship on Sunday night with a 5-0 win over the Kingston Voyageurs.

The tournament hosts controlled most of the game against the Voyageurs, outshooting the Central Region champions 40-21, including 15-4 in the second period, when they scored a pair of goals to pull away.

Jeff Forsythe, the only player on the Victoria roster with previous RBC Cup experience – he played with Prince George in 2007 – paced the offence with two goals and an assist, while Jonathan Milhouse, Brian Nugent and Evan Pighin also put their names on the scoresheet.

After Forsythe opened the scoring less than five minutes into the first period, he notched his second of the game two minutes into the middle frame, rifling a wrist shot over the shoulder of Kingston goaltender Shawn Sirman. Milhouse added insurance five minutes later, tapping in a cross-ice pass from Justin Courtnall, and Nugent and Pighin rounded out the scoring in the third.

Anthony Grieco earned the shutout, turning aside all 21 shots he faced.

The Grizzlies will enjoy an off day on Monday before facing Vernon in an all-BCHL match-up on Tuesday night (7 p.m. PT), while the Voyageurs face Summerside in a battle of winless teams in Monday afternoon (2 p.m. PT).

Press Release

VICTORIA, B.C. – As far as quick starts go, the Vernon Vipers could not have asked for any better.

Braden Pimm scored just 13 seconds after the opening face-off to spark the Vipers as the Pacific Region representatives opened the 2009 RBC Cup with a 4-2 win over the Summerside Western Capitals on Sunday afternoon at Bear Mountain Arena.

With the starting line-up barely announced and most fans not yet in their seats, Pimm snapped a shot past Summerside goaltender Alex Dupuis to give his team the very early lead.

Wonder-twins Connor and Kellen Jones combined for a shorthanded goal just 6:27 later for a 2-0 advantage as Vernon opened its quest for a record fifth National Junior A Championship with a win. Connor Jones added his second goal in the second period and Mike Collins also scored for the Vipers, who led 4-0 after 40 minutes.

Nathan DesRoches and Josh McKinnon scored third period goals for Summerside, ending the shutout bid of Vipers netminder Andrew Hammond and cutting the Vernon lead in half.

Vernon faces Humboldt in a possible championship game preview on Monday night (7 p.m. PT), while Summerside will take on Kingston in an all-Eastern battle on Monday afternoon (2 p.m. PT).

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)