Sean Donaldson had three points and Nanaimo scored three times on the power play in a 5-4 win over the Bulldogs Oct. 17 (Gary Dorland)

By Dan Marshall

Clips Bite Dogs

Special teams tweak propels Clippers to win over Island rival

Oct 19, 2020 | 6:57 PM

NANAIMO — The Clippers leant on a third-year veteran and a renewed powerplay to get past the Bulldogs last weekend.

Sean Donaldson chipped in three points and the power play came alive in the Clippers 5-4 win in Alberni Valley on Oct. 17.

Donaldson had a goal and two assists to bring his Island Cup totals to eight points in five games, becoming the Clippers scoring leader and sitting eighth among all BCHL players in the extended preseason.

The power play broke out for Nanaimo after going scoreless in the previous four games.

The team went 3/9 and really picked things up after coach Darren Naylor and his staff made some first period adjustments.

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“We’ve been trying to make too many cute plays,” Naylor said. “We told them we want five to eight shots per power play. When we start firing pucks and going to the net, that’s when good things happen.”

Nanaimo had five different goal scorers in their victory including a tally from their youngest roster player Jaeger Murdock who had the game winner.

Team captain Kyler Kovich also scored a buzzer beater with under a second remaining in the second period.

The Clippers never trailed in the contest.

With three games in four days Nanaimo is embarking on their busiest stretch of the Island Cup.

They’ll host Cowichan Valley on Oct. 21 and 23 before heading back to Alberni Valley on Oct. 24.

CLIP NOTES:

The Clippers begin playing at Frank Crane Arena on Oct. 21. The team has not been able to play in their usual home since March.

Goalie Jordan Naylor has played the second most minutes of any BCHL goalie in the preseason with 264. He’s 3-2 with a 2.96 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.

Forward Keighan Gerrie will join the team on the Oct. 23-24 weekend. The 19-year-old had six points in 41 games with Waterloo of the USHL but is one season removed from a 102 point campaign with Thunder Bay of the SIJHL.

dan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On twitter: @danmarshall77