Raiders fend off Wheat Kings 5-3 in last home game of the first half
Two point nights from Lukas Dragicevic, Aiden Oiring, and Ty Meunier helped the Prince Albert Raiders pick up a big 5-3 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings on Saturday night at the Art Hauser Centre.
The Raiders got off to a great start, jumping out to a 3-0 lead after 20 minutes. Lukas Dragicevic opened the scoring 4:26 into the first, after a great play by Aiden Oiring to keep the play alive in the Brandon zone. Jumping to keep the puck in at the blue line, Oiring deked around a Wheat Kings defenceman and worked his way down to the corner. Circling back up to the point, he dropped a pass to Dragicevic, who turned on the jets and sped down the left wall. Cutting in on goal, the Raider defenceman slipped a shot five hole through Ethan Eskit, scoring his fourth goal of the season to give Prince Albert a 1-0 lead.
AO with the keep, Drago with the finish😮💨 pic.twitter.com/16FOYedmj7
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) December 15, 2024
Less than four minutes later, Justice Christensen doubled the lead for the Raiders in a play where he started at the left point and ended at the right post. The captain held the puck in at the blue line and chipped it low for Tomas Mrsic, who played the puck even further down the wall. It was picked up by Oiring in the left corner, and he sent a hard cross ice pass to Christensen, who tapped home his sixth goal of the season on the doorstep to make it 2-0.
Started at the left point, finished at the right post pic.twitter.com/P1sktUqN3m
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) December 15, 2024
A third goal from the Raiders came with 5:37 left in the opening frame, as Ty Meunier nabbed his seventh goal of the season. From the right wall, Niall Crocker flipped a pass to Dragicevic at the point, and he blasted a one timer on goal. Meunier was parked in the slot, and he tipped the shot home past Eskit, extending Prince Albert’s lead to 3-0.
Another one in the first! Ty's got his seventh goal of the season! pic.twitter.com/GfC5RUXbTN
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) December 15, 2024
After 20 minutes, the Raiders outshot the Wheat Kings 14-11, and took their three goal lead into the second frame.
Prince Albert put up 12 more shots in the second period, but couldn’t extend their lead. Brandon put up 14 shots in the period, and were rewarded with two goals to make it a one goal game. Marcus Nguyen scored 1:49 into the frame to make it a 31 game, while Caleb Hadland scored with 3:55 left in the period on a Wheat Kings powerplay.
Despite giving up two goals in the second, the Raiders were still able to take a lead into the third, as it was a 3-2 game heading into the final 20 minutes.
7:24 into the third period, Daxon Rudolph gave the Raiders a two goal cushion on a powerplay. After a won faceoff in the offensive zone, Prince Albert cycled the puck around, where it eventually found Brayden Dube in tight. He tried to get a shot on goal that didn’t get through, and the rebound spat out to Meunier in the left circle. Meunier spotted Rudolph wide open in the right circle, and gave his defenceman a pass, which Rudolph ripped into an open net. His first goal since the home opener and his second of the season put the green and gold up 4-2.
Rudolph scoring in our last home game before Christmas? You bet✅ pic.twitter.com/rwW8r4bO28
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) December 15, 2024
Brandon got one back with 7:59 left in regulation, as Hadland found the back of the net to answer with a powerplay goal of his own. After Max Hildebrand made a nice save on an initial scoring chance, he left a rebound in front of the crease. Hadland came crashing in and buried his second of the night before the Raider goalie could cover the puck. His 11th goal of the season made it a one goal game once again at 4-3.
With 6:10 left in the game, Harrison Lodewyk scored an insurance marker for Prince Albert. After Krzysztof Macias laid a booming hit along the wall, he played the puck to the slot. Lodewyk was there to take it on his stick, and he sniped a shot top corner, knocking Eskit’s bottle off the net. The goal was Lodewyk’s fifth of the season, giving the Raiders a little extra breathing room as they took a 5-3 lead.
Bottle popper! pic.twitter.com/ZLxdlI2Rf6
— Prince Albert Raiders (@PARaidersHockey) December 15, 2024
They were able to hold on from there, not letting Brandon get any chances on goal with the net empty, as the clock hit zeros. Hildebrand stopped 38 shots in the win, as the Raiders improved to 14-10-3-0.
Prince Albert has a couple days off before they take on the Edmonton Oil Kings at Rogers Place on Tuesday night.
