Aidan Campbell had his first BCHL shutout while Charles Tardif scored two goals and Brett Merner chipped in three assists in the Clippers 4-0 Game 1 victory over the Langley Rivermen. (Gary Dorland)

By Dan Marshall

First game shutout

Clippers blank Rivermen 4-0 in playoff opener

Mar 31, 2023 | 10:10 PM

NANAIMO — The Clippers had their best defensive effort of the season in a 4-0 Game 1 shutout of the Langley Rivermen.

Aidan Campbell made 25 saves for his first ever BCHL shutout. Nanaimo didn’t have a shutout in 54 regular season games.

In a very eventful opening period the Clippers got up 2-0 on goals by Charles Tardif and then Jeremie Payant on the power play.

Willyam Gendron left the game early with a facial injury and later in the first Jake Hewitt leveled a devastating open ice check on the Rivermen’s Owen Kim.

Kim also didn’t return.

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Shortly after that hit Hewitt was into a fight with Dominick Rivelli. Both players were assessed double game misconducts which will see them unavailable to play in Game 2.

The Clippers outshot Langley 22-4 in the opening frame but the game settled down considerably from there.

Nanaimo added power play goals from Tardif in the second period and Brody Waters in the third to cruise to the victory.

Power plays played a massive role with Nanaimo finishing 3/6 and then killing off Langley’s only man advantage.

The final shots were 36-25 for the Clippers with Campbell taking the win over the Rivermen’s Ajeet Gundarah.

Game.2 of the series goes Saturday April 1 at 7 p.m. at Frank Crane Arena.

The Clippers used timely scoring to cruise to a 4-0 win in game 1 against Langley on Friday night. (Gus Galloway Photography)

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