WHL Victoria Royals

Royals Look to Extend Win Streak as Cougars Come to Town for Two-Game Set

Published on March 24, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Victoria Royals News Release


Victoria, BC - The Victoria Royals come into the weekend riding high after posting back-to-back wins over the Kelowna Rockets earlier this week. The team has gotten hot at the right time, winning their last four games and vaulting themselves into a playoff spot with only a handful of games remaining in their schedule.

They currently sit in seventh place in the Western Conference with 46 points and a 21-34-5-1 record on the season, having won six of their last 10 contests.

Victoria will welcome back the Prince George Cougars for a two game series this weekend after posting a pair of wins against them back on Mar. 18 and 19. Despite the two losses, Prince George still leads the season series, winning eight of the 11 contests.

The Cougars come into the weekend having won just one of their last ten games, with their record standing at 20-34-2-1 on the year as they sit in a tie for eighth place with the Spokane Chiefs with 43 points.

Chestermere, AB product Tarun Fizer has been key to the Royals success over the past few weeks, posting 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) over his last 10 games.

Forward Bailey Peach has also regained his stroke lately, recording four goals over his last three games, which included a three-goal performance in a win against Prince George last weekend. He continues his race to reach the 40-goal mark, needing only six more with seven games remaining.

Another Royals enjoying a quality week is the speedy Tanner Scott, who counted four assists in a 4-3 win over Kelowna on Wednesday and has recorded eight points (one goal, seven assists) over his last 5 games.

The team has also benefited from the play of goaltender Tyler Palmer, who has been a brick wall between the posts in March, holding opposing teams under three goals in nine of his last 10 starts, and posting two shutouts over that span. He currently rides a three game win streak in which he has stopped 103 of 107 shots against.

Victoria has also welcomed back some key members of their roster the past few games, with defenceman Gannon Laroque and forward Evan Patrician making their returns from injury in the last seven days, adding an extra dimension to the lineup.

Meanwhile, forward Koehn Ziemmer has been the most valuable player for Prince George this month, scoring eight goals in his last six games. He ranks first on the team with 28 goals and 23 assists for 53 total points, counting 18 (14 goals, four assists) against Victoria in 2021-2022.

The blueline duo of Hudson Thornton and Ethan Samson are also ones to watch for the Cougars this weekend. Both players have nearly identical statlines this season, with Thornton registering 41 points on 13 goals and 28 assists and Samson with 39 points on 13 goals and 26 assists. Production from these two-backend talents will be a significant factor in determining the final results this weekend.

In net for the Cougars will be Winnipeg, MB product Tyler Brennan, with Coaldale, AB's Ty Young working as his backup. Brennan has posted a 10-22-1-1 record with a .903 save percentage (SV%) and a 3.44 goals against average (GAA) on the year. Young, meanwhile, holds a 3.94 GAA, and a 0.888 SV% with a 3-7-1-0 record.

The first game between the two division rivals will take place on Friday, Mar. 25, with the "Victoria 500" game presented by Jiffy Lube Victoria and Rupe's Roofing.

On Saturday, the Royals will celebrate Fan Appreciation Night brought to you by Charlsey Macgregor from Sutton West Coast Realty. The puck drop for both games is scheduled for 7:05pm.

For tickets to upcoming Royals home 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.

Follow the Royals on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok and visit our website to find out more about ticket sales and the latest news on the team. To get all your Royals news in one place, download the new Royals app available on both Apple and Google stores.

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Western Hockey League Stories from March 24, 2022


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