Salmon Kings' Keetley Blanks Reign

Published on November 12, 2009 under ECHL (ECHL)
Victoria Salmon Kings News Release


Victoria, BC - In a Wednesday night matchup the Victoria Salmon Kings and Ontario Reign met in the first of a three-game set at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. The Salmon Kings started Matt Keetley in net while the Reign countered with Curtis Darling.

The Salmon Kings were the lone team to hit the scoreboard in the opening frame, when at the 8:10 mark on the power play forward Dirk Southern took a cross ice pass from the newly acquired Jimmy Sharrow and he fired a quick snap shot from the left faceoff circle that beat Darling on his glove side. Southern's tally was his first of the season. Goaltender Matt Keetley, assigned yesterday from the AHL's Abbotsford Heat, kept the Salmon Kings in front late in the period when he made a diving pad save to his right on a Reign 2-on-1 opportunity. Victoria took their 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Andy Brandt extended the Salmon Kings' lead to 2-0 just 3:41 into the second period when he picked up his own wrap around rebound and banked it off the back of Darling's legs and into the net. Brandt's goal was his third of the year. Darling made 14 second period saves to keep the Reign's deficit at two heading to the third period.

Ontario pressured Keetley in third period but the Salmon Kings goaltender stood tall with 13 saves including two gigantic glove saves late in the frame. The first save saw Keetley rob Tim Kraus with a dazzling glove save. The second occurred when the Reign broke in to the Kings' zone with Andrew Martens bursting down the right side with the puck. Martens fed a cross crease pass to Tony Voce who was driving towards the net on the weakside, Voce tipped the puck perfectly, but Keetley windmilled from his left to his right to snap the puck out of the air to rob the Reign forward with a spectacular save. Salmon Kings 2 Reign 0.

The Salmon Kings finished 1/7 14.0% on the power play while the Reign were 0/6 0.0%. Ontario outshot Victoria 35-23.

The Salmon Kings host the Ontario Reign this Friday, November 13th, and Saturday, November 14th. Puck drop for both games is 7:05 p.m. This Saturday is Marty the Marmot's fourth birthday! The first 500 children into the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre will receive a Marty birthday goodie-bag! Also, fans will have a chance to enjoy a piece of Marty's birthday cake! CFAX 1070 and the Vancouver Island Brewery will be on hand this Friday to give away Cheer Stix to the first 2000 fans in attendance.

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