Fizer's Four-Point Night Leads Royals over Winterhawks 5-3
Published on March 9, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Victoria Royals News Release
Victoria Royals gather after a goal against the Portland Winterhawks
(Victoria Royals)
Victoria, BC - Victoria Royals forward Tarun Fizer recorded two goals and two assists to cap a four-point performance in a 5-3 victory over the Portland Winterhawks on Tuesday.
The Chestermere, AB product was all over the ice in the midweek contest, scoring his team's first and last goals of the game while adding assists on two others. He brings his point total up to 35 (12 goals, 23 assists) on the year, registering 21 of those since his return from injury in early February.
The 20-year-old captain credits his success to taking the same approach every time he touches the ice:
"I think it's consistency," said Fizer postgame. "Working on being consistent every night, trying to make an impact every night, it's not easy to do. I think I've done an okay job of that, but I feel I have more to offer."
Head coach Dan Price echoed that sentiment, adding the impact of his approach off the ice as playing a major factor:
"He instils such confidence in the group," said Price. "He's so well prepared, a tremendous teammate and cares about everyone. It's not just the points, it's the shot-blocking, the faceoffs, tracking back to help our goalie, all those gritty things that also contribute...it's great to see him get rewarded and have a night like that."
Linemate Bailey Peach also had a strong night for Victoria, counting three points on a goal and two assists.
Another Royal instrumental in the victory was goaltender Tyler Palmer, whose late game heroics showed why he has been named a goalie of the week on two occasions during the 2021-2022 season. The Fernie, BC native totalled 47 out of 50 saves on the night.
Forward Robbie Fromm-Delorme was the top performer for the Winterhawks in the loss, registering three points on a pair of goals and one assist.
Portland would open the scoring on Tuesday, with forward Tyson Kozak (29) striking at 1:35 to make it 1-0 early into the first period.
The Royals would respond at the 4:56 mark with a goal by captain Tarun Fizer (11) to even the game at 1-1. Victoria would then use a powerplay marker by forward Riley Gannon (16) to go up by one at 11:01 of the frame, a lead which they would carry into the second period.
The Royals would add on to start the second, with defenceman Luke Shipley scoring his 3rd goal of the year 57 seconds into the middle frame, giving his team a 3-1 lead.
However, the Winterhawks would gain some momentum back, pulling back within a goal on forward Robbie Fromm-Delorme's 12th goal of the season at 3:57.
The back-and-forth action would continue, with Victoria forward Bailey Peach-who was celebrating his 21st birthday-beating Portland goalie Taylor Gauthier on a penalty shot to put his team back up by two. The Falmouth, NS native has now recorded a team-leading 30 goals on the season.
The 'Hawks would add one more to the scoreboard before the end of the period, with Fromm-Delorme counting his second of the game (13) at 15:21 to make it 4-3 heading into the final stanza.
Despite a number of quality opportunities generated by the Winterhawks throughout the third, the Royals defence would hold strong and deny their opponent a comeback victory. Goaltender Tyler Palmer was key to the end result, making a ridiculous windmill, cross-crease glove save in the final minutes to rob Portland of the tying goal in what's sure to be a save of the year candidate.
Shortly after, forward Tarun Fizer would add an empty net goal (12) at the 18:43 mark to seal the eventual 5-3 victory for Victoria and complete the four-point performance.
'Hawks goalie Taylor Gauthier made 27 of 31 saves in the defeat.
The win improves the Royals' record to 16-32-5-1, giving them 38 total points on the season, sitting just one behind the Spokane Chiefs for the eighth and final playoff spot.
Meanwhile, Portland's loss puts an end to a five-game win-streak and moves their record to 36-14-3-2 with 77 points in 2021-2022. They remain in third place in the conference, having already booked a ticket to the postseason.
The two teams will set up for a rematch tomorrow night, once again at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, where puck drop is scheduled for 7:05pm. The game will be dedicated to "Industry Night" and will feature $10 tickets in certain sections along with $5 draught beers all night.
For tickets to upcoming Royals games, visit the Victoria Royals ticketing page or call the Select Your Ticket box office at 250-220-7777. Visit the Royals promo page for all special ticket offers.
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Images from this story
 Victoria Royals gather after a goal against the Portland Winterhawks |
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