Sanders Sends the Toques Flying in Shootout Win Over Hitmen
December 12, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Prince Albert Raiders News Release
Prince Albert, Sask. - Landon Kosior and Ozzy Wiesblatt each scored in the shootout as the Prince Albert Raiders (10-13-1-1) picked up a 4-3 win over the Calgary Hitmen (11-9-2-2) on Saturday night at the Art Hauser Centre.
Cale Sanders and Reece Vitelli each had a goal and an assist in the win. Reece Vitelli also scored for the Raiders on Toque And Mitt Toss Night.
The Raiders now have points in five of their past six contests.
It was Sanders that sent the winter gear flying 4:16 into the opening contest. He dug the puck out from a scrum along the boards at centre ice, creating an odd-man rush with Sorensen. Sanders decided to keep and wired a shot past Ethan Buenaventura for his sixth of the season.
The Hitmen responded less than three minutes later. Keegan Slaney took a thunderous hit from Eric Johnston to make the pass to Sean Tschigerl, who got the puck over to Riley Fiddler-Schultz with a spinning pass. Fiddler-Schultz converted the one-timer to make it a 1-1 game.
Newly-minted captain Reece Vitelli broke the deadlock midway through the first. As he was getting hooked to the ice, Sanders hooked a pass past the Calgary defence to Sorensen to set up a two-on-one rush. Sorensen made a backhand pass to Vitelli, who chipped it over Buenaventura with his backhand for his ninth of the campaign.
At the 2:03 mark of the second period, Calgary levelled the score again. Oliver Tulk took a pass in the slot and fired a shot that was blocked by Ross Stanley. Tulk was able to find the rebound and get a backhanded attempt past Tikhon Chaika.
Three minutes later, the Hitmen took the lead. An errant pass from Blake Allan found Keagan Slaney at the point. His shot on goal got through traffic in front of Chaika to give Calgary its first lead of the contest.
The lead held until midway through the third period. After the Raiders killed off a penalty, Evan Herman found himself on a breakaway. His attempt was stopped by Buenaventura, but he kept the puck alive in the corner. He came out of the corner and fired a shot that hit the left post.
The puck stayed in the Hitmen's end and eventually led to Kosior switching sides with Remy Aquilon. The overage defenceman put a shot towards goal that hit Sorensen's skate and got past Buenaventura for the Red Deer, Alta. product's fifth of the season.
The score held to overtime where both teams had chances to end the game. Wiesblatt hit the post early on in the extra period. At the other end as time expired, Kosior laid out to block a shot and save a sure goal from the stick of Slaney.
After Sloan Stanick was stopped in the first round of the shootout, Wiesblatt and Kosior tallied in consecutive rounds with the same shot low to the glove side. Chaika turned aside both Cael Zimmerman and Adam Kydd to take care of business at his end.
Chaika finished the game with 28 saves to pick up his fourth with of the season. Buenaventura made 22 saves for the Hitmen in the loss.
The Raiders are back in action on Tuesday night when they host the Winnipeg ICE at the Art Hauser Centre for the first time this season on a Community Cares Fundraising Night. Puck drop is 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Raiders Office and at SaskTix.ca.
Western Hockey League Stories from December 12, 2021
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- Carson Lambos to Play for Team Canada at World Junior Hockey Championship - Winnipeg Ice
- Dexter Whittle Scores First WHL Goal as Tips Drop Two in Tri-City - Everett Silvertips
- Chiefs Boast Strong Power Play, But Fall to Portland 7-3 - Spokane Chiefs
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- Americans Trade Cole Tisdale to Prince Albert - Tri-City Americans
- Broncos Drop Physical Game in Moose Jaw - Swift Current Broncos
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- T-Birds Race Past Rockets - Seattle Thunderbirds
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- ICE Conclude Homestand with 5-2 Win over Edmonton - Winnipeg Ice
- Chiefs Boast Strong Power Play, But Fall to Portland 7-3 - Spokane Chiefs
- Sanders Sends the Toques Flying in Shootout Win Over Hitmen - Prince Albert Raiders
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