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Clippers season ends with 4-2 loss in Victoria

Mar 11, 2017 | 8:13 AM

COLWOOD – The Clippers it seemed were always looking for that one extra goal in their first round series with Victoria.

On Friday the Grizzlies won 4-2 at the Q Centre to take the best of seven series 4-1.

The story of the first two periods of game five was defenseman Jake Stevens who scored a natural hat trick with an even strength, power play, and shorthanded goal.

Down 3-0 heading into the third period Nanaimo poured it on and made the game 3-2 with goals by Jake Harris and then Spencer Hewson on a man advantage.

It was fitting the Clippers captain scored Nanaimo’s final goal of the season in his last ever junior hockey game,

Hewson played in Nanaimo for four years and will be remembered as a great leader, a tireless worker, and someone who gave back a lot to the community off the ice.

Jamie Rome started the Grizzlies victory celebration with his empty net goal in the dying seconds of game five, which set up a Victoria versus Powell River Island Division final.

The Clippers won’t get back to a third straight divisional championship series but could return as many as 17 players for the 2017-18 campaign.

Hewson along with fellow veterans Sean Buchanan, Taylor Karel, David Eccles, and Josh Blanchard will move on to other opportunities after their 20-year-old seasons.

Assistant coach Dustin Donaghy said after the series that his team came a long way over the course of seven months, and after a few days to take stock of the season the coaching staff will start the process of building the team for next year.

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Friday’s Three Stars 

1) Jake Stevens 3g 

2) Cody Van Lierop 3a

3) Drayson Pears