Royals fall short to Winterhawks 3-2
Victoria, B.C. – The Royals battled with the Portland Winterhawks for the first half of the back-to-back tonight. After a down-to-the-wire finish, the Royals fell short 3-2 to the Winterhawks.
Victoria broke the ice halfway into a fast-paced first period with Cruz Waltze’s fourth goal of the season from Wyatt Danyleyko at 9:15. After fending off Portland’s push, the Royals would double down with a marker from Landon Young, assisted by Miles Cooper at 17:47 into the period. Staying strong defensively, the Royals maintained the two-goal lead heading into the first intermission.
The Winterhawks’ pressure would pay off late in the second period, as Jake Gustafson broke into the Royals’ zone and got Portland on the board at 13:59. Despite opportunities, Gustafson’s tally would stand as the only goal in the middle frame, entering the break with a score of 2-1.
The third period featured multiple agonizingly close chances for Victoria, but the Royals were unable to capitalize. Portland countered with offensive pressure of their own, as Nathan Free tied the game at 11:30 into the period. Free’s night would not end there, as the Winterhawks forward would take the lead at 19:09 to secure a win for Portland.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
9:15 Victoria Royals Goal
Cruz Waltze (4) assisted by Wyatt Danyleyko
17:47 Victoria Royals Goal
Landon Young (3) assisted by Miles Cooper
2nd Period
13:59 Portland Winterhawks Goal
Jake Gustafson (13) assisted by Reed Brown
3rd Period
11:30 Portland Winterhawks Goal
Nathan Free (25) unassisted
19:09 Portland Winterhawks Goal
Nathan Free (26) assisted by Nathan Brown
Shots on Goal
Royals – 28
Winterhawks – 36
Powerplay
Royals – 0/4
Winterhawks – 0/3
Goalie Stats
Royals
Ethan Eskit – 33/36
Winterhawks
Ondrej Stebetak – 26/28
What’s Next
The Royals hit the ice again tomorrow night to take on the Winterhawks for Pink in the Rink night!
