RECAP: Pyne Steals Show for Pats in Win Over Giants

Category: ArticleDecember 4, 2024

Langley, B.C. – Goaltender Kelton Pyne stole Wednesday’s game for the Regina Pats with a 38-save performance in a 5-3 win over the Vancouver Giants at the Langley Events Centre.

The loss drops Vancouver’s record to 11-10-4 this season, while the Pats improve to 7-16-2-2. The Giants out-shot Regina 41-26 in the game.

Tyler Thorpe, Tyus Sparks and Ty Halaburda provided the goals for the G-Men.

Five different Pats scored: Zach Moore, Jace Egland, Julien Maze, Zackary Shantz and Caden Brown.

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GAME SUMMARY

Regina got out to a 2-0 lead after one period thanks to a power play goal from Moore 12:39 into the game and then a goal from Egland – the first in his WHL career – with only 1:27 left in the opening frame.

Maze extended the visitors’ lead to 3-0 with a breakaway goal 6:23 into period number two to make it 3-0 Pats.

Before the end of the second, the Giants got life when Thorpe sniped from the slot on the power play, off a pass from the corner from Adam Titlbach.

literally 🙌@CanadiensMTL | #GoHabsGo https://t.co/SuDg2mX5sj pic.twitter.com/eeSQXCQPNV

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) December 5, 2024

Two 16-year-olds connected early in the third to get the Giants to within a goal, as Ryan Lin held the puck in the offensive zone at the right point and found Sparks alone in the slot, who roofed his fourth of the season to cut Regina’s lead to 3-2.

SPARKSYYYY!!

16-year-old defenceman Ryan Lin to 16-year-old forward Tyus Sparks, it's now a 3-2 game!@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/QzX2TcJHpn

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) December 5, 2024

A breakaway goal from Shantz five minutes later restored the Pats two-goal lead, as his shot was initially stopped, but eventually trickled over the line with 11:56 left in the third period.

The Giants pulled the goaltender early with them facing a two-goal deficit, and Halaburda scored from the right circle with 55 seconds remaining to make it 4-3.

Regina hit the empty net with eight seconds left to make the final score 5-3.

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN — 13/11/17 = 41 | REG – 7/7/12 = 25
PP: VAN—1/3 | REG — 1/4
Face-Offs: VAN — 23 | REG — 29

THEY SAID IT

“I have no issues with our effort tonight. I thought our guys worked. They competed. We certainly didn’t take [them] lightly. We knew that – we talked about it. The guys were ready. We had some really good looks. We just didn’t execute. Credit to Regina. Credit to their goaltender: he stole that game for them tonight. We had some really good looks, we just didn’t capitalize on them. Our effort: our kids were pressing and pressing, maybe pressing a little bit too hard at times, but we got behind and tried to fight back and get ourselves back in the game.” – Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros

“When we got our momentum, then we gave up a goal. Then kind of lost our momentum, had to work hard to get it back again. And then we got a goal, then we gave up another one. Credit to them – they scored timely goals and we just couldn’t dig ourselves out of that hole.” – Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros

3 STARS

1st: REG – Kelton Pyne – 38 Saves
2nd: VAN – Tyler Thorpe – 1G, 6 SOG
3rd: REG – Julien Maze – 1G, 2A, 3 SOG

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: LOSS – Matthew Hutchison (21 saves / 25 shots)
Regina: WIN – Kelton Pyne (38 saves / 41 shots)

UPCOMING

Date	Opponent	Time	Location
Friday, December 6	Tri-City	7:05 PM PT	Toyota Center
Saturday, December 7	Portland	6:00 PM PT	Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Sunday, December 8	Portland	4:00 PM PT	Veterans Memorial Coliseum

B.C. Division