By Dan Marshall

Clippers searching for answers after winless Interior road trip

Oct 16, 2017 | 10:34 AM

NANAIMO — The Clippers are back home after a grueling road trip that failed to produce any results.
 
Their scoring has dried up with a total of only four goals in three games against Vernon, Salmon Arm, and West Kelowna.
 
It was a case of whatever could go wrong did go wrong in those games.
 
Friday in a 4-1 loss to the Vipers, Vernon scored on a pair of screened shots from long range.
 
The game’s clinching goal was fired from the boards through traffic and in behind starting goalie Austin Roden.
 
On Saturday the Clippers game against Salmon Arm was tied 2-2 into the final minute of the second period.
 
Nanaimo was killing a penalty and Roden appeared to have a loose puck covered.

The Clippers were sure they heard the referee’s whistle, and then Silverback Marcus Mitchell put the puck into the net.
 
The goal was allowed to count and proved to be the game winner in a 4-2 decision.

Sunday’s trip to West Kelowna was the Clippers best 60 minutes of the weekend but the game ended 4-1 for the Warriors.

Jake Harris scored in the opening minute to give Nanaimo the lead but despite getting the better chances West Kelowna got the win.
 

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Two of their goals were from long range shots, and the final goal went off a defender’s leg and into the net behind a stunned Noah Featherstonhaugh Gowe.
 
Coach Mike Vandekamp acknowledged some of their key goals against weren’t from break downs, but just bad bounces.
 
“We have to admit that we’ve had a couple of bad breaks in close games. I’m a big believer that the hockey gods will reward those that have earned it, so I guess we still have a little bit more that we need to give,” said Vandekamp.
 
Overall the Clippers have lost four straight games and in those games they’ve managed a total of just six goals.
 
The team has lost six of the past seven games despite legitimately in every game into the third period.
 
Their was no sense of panic even after the last loss of the trip on Sunday but definitely concern for the team’s plight.
 
Over the course of Nanaimo’s three game trip there was some line juggling and that will likely continue this week once the team returns to the practice ice on Tuesday. 
 
The Clippers are hoping for a spark from their annual parents weekend Friday through Sunday.
 
Most of the players will have parents coming to Nanaimo for a celebration on Friday and then the families will stay on Saturday and Sunday for home games against Coquitlam and Prince George.
 
Sunday’s game against the Spruce Kings will end the Clippers first quarter of the season with the four points badly need to keep the team within striking distance of the top teams in the Island Division.
 
 
 
dan@nanaimonewsnow.com
 
On twitter: @danmarshall77