Oceanside Generals win 4th VIJHL Championship via overtime thriller

The win Friday night comes 12 months after a heartbreaking game six loss in the 2022 playoffs, leading the Generals to name this season ‘unfinished business’.

“Especially after last year, having a few of the graduating players from last year in the building just makes it that much better, it’s unreal,” Johnson added.

The determination gained from last season was strong for Nolan Kehoe.

He was among a small number of players who stayed on the ice after a game six loss last year, watching Peninsula skate with the championship.

“We just watched to kind of feel the pain a little bit, know we had to come in this year and finish the business,” Kehoe said after the game. “That really hurt a lot of the boys and we knew we had a job coming into this year, our motto all year was ‘unfinished business’, business is finally finished.”

Kehoe also praised a strong contingent of Oceanside fans who made the trip from Parksville to Saanich.

“Everyone thinks as CR (Campbell River) as having the best fan base, but when you really watch the games it’s Oceanside. We’ve got people coming from Oceanside, 300 people, coming to the games, you won’t see that with any other fan base.”

Carter Johnson celebrates after scoring in the second overtime to propel the Oceanside Generals to a VIJHL championship Friday night. (Gus Galloway Photography)

The third overtime game of the series was a see-saw affair which went beyond the three-hour mark, following a 6:04 p.m. puck drop. Johnson broke the deadline at 9:11 p.m.

The Predators drew first blood through a goal by Colten Thompson but the Generals responded quickly. Parker Klippenstein and Danta Paziuk scored just over three minutes apart to give Oceanside a 2-1 lead after the first period.

The Generals also out shot Saanich 14-5 in the period.

Saanich responded in the second with a pair of unanswered goals through Sean Pandher and Taylor Webb to carry a 3-2 lead after 40 minutes.

Oceanside again put themselves back in front with a pair of goals in quick succession, this time 1:59 apart through Paziuk’s second and Jacob Thomas.

The lead was short lived with Pandher tying the contest with 7:33 remaining in regulation.

Shots after 60 minutes favoured Oceanside 35-30.

First overtime, a 10-minute period, saw tense play and chances both ways but resulted in no winner with Saanich out shooting Oceanside 5-3.

Into the second extra session, a full 20-minute period after a zamboni sweep, Oceanside poured on the pressure.

Chances midway through the period included Ben Groome bringing the travelling Generals fans from their seats on a shots which narrowly missed then the team following up on the next shift with a scramble around the net which also failed to cross the goal line.

Johnson’s championship winner came after a few more narrow misses from the Gens.

Goaltender Ashton Sadauskas stopped 38 of 42 in the win

It’s the first VIJHL Championship for the Generals since their 2008/09 triumph.

The win now qualifies Oceanside as the VIJHL representative to the western Canadian championships, the Cyclone Taylor Cup in Revelstoke later this month.

After falling short last year with a loss in the final, the Oceanside Generals finished their unresolved business to win the VIJHL title Friday night. (Gus Galloway Photography)

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by NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Oceanside Generals win 4th VIJHL Championship via overtime thriller

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