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WHL Victoria Royals

Royals Buck Broncos in Overtime

December 12, 2013 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Victoria Royals News Release


Swift Current, SK - The Victoria Royals met the Swift Current Broncos in the two clubs' only meeting of the season Thursday night at Credit Union i-Plex. The Royals gave Patrik Polivka the start in net, while the Broncos countered with Landon Bow.

Victoria opened the scoring when Ben Walker got his 13th goal of the season just 1:50 into the game on the Royals' first shot. On his first shift as a Royal, Victoria's newest addition, Braden Oleksyn, made a cross-crease feed to Walker that the Edina, MN native tapped into an empty net. Less than one minute later, the Royals added to their lead. Tyler Soy rushed down the right wing and fired a backhanded shot towards Bow which deflected off of a Swift Current defender and into the back of the net. Victoria then got their third goal of the game just 3:35 into the period. Blomqvist made a nice pass to Steven Hodges at the right face-off dot where he buried his fourth of the season. Eetu Laurikainen then relieved Bow of his duties in the Broncos' crease. Swift Current's Julius Honka managed to get the Broncos on the board at the 10:40 mark while on the powerplay, but the Royals held a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes of play.

Landon Bow returned between the pipes for the Broncos to begin the second period. The two teams exchanged a number of penalties, which led to a considerable amount of four-on-four hockey and three Swift Current powerplays, but Victoria killed off each chance. Polivka stopped 15 shots through two periods to keep the Royals up 3-1 at the second intermission.

Swift Current made it a one-goal game at the 5:18 mark when Glenn Gawdin found a loose puck in front of Polivka. The Broncos were awarded a powerplay in the middle of the frame, but it was Victoria's Logan Fisher that had the best opportunity. Fisher picked up a loose puck alone in the slot, but Bow flashed the leather to keep it a 3-2 game. Jay Merkely later tied the game for the Broncos off of a broken play at the 14:31 mark. Neither club could find a go-ahead goal in the dying moments of regulation time and overtime was needed to determine a winner.

Victoria found the back of the net 3:31 into overtime when Blomqvist picked up his third point of the game. Chaz Reddekopp's point shot bounced off the glass behind the net before it was knocked in by Blomqvist to give the Royals the win in extra time. Victoria 4 Swift Current 3.

Victoria went 0/4 0.0% on the powerplay, while Swift Current went 1/6 16.6%. The Royals outshot the Broncos 33-32.

The Royals will continue their five-game road trip in Medicine Hat on Saturday night. Puck drop is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Pacific Time. Victoria's next home game goes at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on December 27th when the Prince George Cougars visit Vancouver Island for a two-game set.

Give the gift of hockey this holiday season by purchasing a Royals Holiday Combo or an Island Savings Kids Club membership! The Holiday Combo, available for $60, includes four anytime ticket vouchers and a gift. Kids Club memberships, for fans 12 years and younger, are available for only $20 and include four child tickets, a t-shirt, newsletters from Marty the Marmot and much more!

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 12, 2013


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