Royals Topple Defending WHL Champs in Country Fest Game
Victoria, BC — The Victoria Royals returned to the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre tonight to host the defending WHL champions, the Medicine Hat Tigers, in their only matchup of this season. After a back-and-forth affair that saw a combined 67 shots in 60 minutes of play, the Royals came out on top to secure the 5-4 win.
Medicine Hat struck first with a goal from Markus Ruck just over one minute into the opening frame. Ludovic Perreault answered with an unassisted marker on the Royals’ first shot of the night at 4:11 to get the team on the board and tie the game at one. Around the midway mark of the period, the Royals’ penalty kill unit held the Tigers’ power play to zero shots on only one attempt in their two-minute man advantage. Misha Volotowskii netted the go-ahead goal for Medicine Hat at 17:40, and the Royals trailed the Tigers 2-1 headed into the first intermission.
Reggie Newman opened the second period scoring with a power play goal at 4:59, assisted by Ludovic Perreault and Hayden Moore, tying the game at two. Heath Nelson quickly followed with a goal assisted by Hayden Moore and Reggie Newman to give the Royals their first lead of the night. Newman and Nelson’s goals came on back-to-back shots; two of the Royals’ seven shots on net in the first five minutes of the second period.
The Royals took the two-goal lead at 11:04 of the second frame with a goal from Miles Cooper, assisted by Odin Vauhkonen. Tigers captain Bryce Pickford struck on a power play late in the period to cut their deficit to one and bring the score to 4-3 Royals after 40 minutes of play.
Medicine Hat tied the game at four with a goal from Dayton Reschny at 10:25 of the third period, but Odin Vauhkonen netted a power play marker less than 30 seconds later, assisted by Roan Woodward and Nolan Stewart, to mark his first career WHL goal and give the Royals the 5-4 lead. Goaltender Ethan Eskit stopped 17 shots in the third period, including numerous dangerous chances late in the frame, to hold the score at 5-4 and secure the Royals’ win.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
1:22 Medicine Hat Tigers Goal
Markus Ruck (1) assisted by Liam Ruck
4:11 Victoria Royals Goal
Ludovic Perreault (3) unassisted
17:40 Medicine Hat Tigers Goal
Misha Volotovskii (6) unassisted
2nd Period
4:59 Victoria Royals Goal
Reggie Newman (3) assisted by Ludovic Perreault and Hayden Moore
6:45 Victoria Royals Goal
Heath Nelson (4) assisted by Hayden Moore and Reggie Newman
11:04 Victoria Royals Goal
Miles Cooper (5) assisted by Odin Vauhkonen
19:48 Medicine Hat Tigers Goal
Bryce Pickford (7) assisted by Kyle Heger and Markus Ruck
3rd Period
10:25 Medicine Hat Tigers Goal
Dayton Reschny (3) assisted by Liam Ruck and Bryce Pickford
10:49 Victoria Royals Goal
Odin Vauhkonen (1) assisted by Roan Woodward and Nolan Stewart
Shots on Goal
Royals – 28
Tigers – 39
Powerplay
Royals – 2/5
Tigers – 1/6
Goalie Stats
Royals
Ethan Eskit – 35/39
Tigers
Jordan Switzer – 23/28
What’s Next
The Royals continue their homestand this Wednesday night, hosting the Kelowna Rockets at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre with puck drop slated for 7:05 PM.
