Nanaimo finished the regular season with five consecutive wins to capture the team's first regular season Island Division title since 2016. (Gary Dorland)

By Dan Marshall

First Place

Clippers weekend wrap Feb. 21-23

Feb 24, 2020 | 7:40 PM

NANAIMO — The Clippers wrapped up a regular season Island Division title over the weekend.

They beat Cowichan Valley 2-1 and took out Alberni Valley 6-1 in the finale of the 2019-20 campaign.

The Feb. 21 home ice win versus the Capitals featured a dramatic ending.

With the game tied 1-1 and Nanaimo short handed in the last minute, they pulled goalie Jordan Naylor and got a last minute winner from Josh Bourne.

The bold move and a surprising Bulldogs victory over the Capitals one night later put the Clippers into a position to win the Island Division for the first time since 2016.

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They were dominant in a Sunday afternoon victory in Port Alberni.

Ethan Scardina had two goals, Travis Walton picked up a goal and an assist and Devon Mussio added two assists in Nanaimo’s final game.

Nanaimo finished the regular season with a record of 37-17-2-2.

Their 78 points is the same total they had in 2015-16 the last time the Clippers won Island Division in the regular season.

Nanaimo will face the Bulldogs in the first round of the playoffs starting Feb. 28 and 29 at Frank Crane Arena.

CLIP NOTES:

The Clippers playoff schedule will be Feb. 28 and 29 in Nanaimo and March 3 and 5 in Alberni Valley. If necessary Game 5 will be at Frank Crane Arena on March 6, with games six and seven slated for March 9 and 11 in Port Alberni and then Nanaimo.

Goalie Jordan Naylor finished the season first in the BCHL with six shutouts, he was also second in both goals against average and save percentage. Naylor was named as a finalist for the BCHL’s Top Goaltender award.

Forward Kyler Kovich has committed to play hockey for Cornell University in 2021-22. He’ll join teammate Jack O’Brien who has already pledged to join the Big Red. Kovich becomes the 11th player on the Nanaimo roster to commit to an NCAA program.

The Clippers upcoming series against the Bulldogs will be the seventh all team meeting. Nanaimo has a 4-2 record with wins in 2003, 2005, 2015, and 2016.

Nanaimo took more points from the bulldogs than any other team in the league. The Clippers went 6-1-0-1 in the season series and won the last five consecutive matchups.

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77