Pre-Season Game #3: Vic 4 - Kel 1 at Maple Ridge

The Royals celebrate a 4-1 win over the Rockets

The Victoria Royals (1-2) earned a 4-1 victory by scoring three times in the second period to break a 1-1 tie in Maple Ridge against the Kelowna Rockets (1-1-0-1).

“We have some good players on this team, and it showed.  We’re learning a new system, …some changes and guys are starting to adapt to them, and figure out their roles and you could see it on the ice tonight.” Said Ben Cooper, Royals Assistant Coach.

Game action in Maple Ridge, Planet Ice

The Royals took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission courtesy of Zane Jones.  The Maple Ridge crowd reacted to a big hit thrown by Joe Hicketts behind his own net.  At the buzzer, Jordan Fransoo fought Colton Sissons after an altercation with Hicketts, and Fransoo was issued a game misconduct for instigating.

In the second, the Rockets tied it up early on a 5 on 3 power play, but the Royals answered with three straight.  Ben Walker, then Brandon Magee and Brett Cote with the man advantage made it 4-1 Victoria after 40 min. 

The Royals lost defenseman Tyler Stahl for the night after being issued a checking to the head penalty on Colton Heffley.

“It was a big hit at center ice, the guy (Heffley) had his head down and we’ll let the league decide.” Said Cooper about the hit.

The frustrated Rockets poured it on in the third, but Jared Rathjen stood tall and neither team scored.  The Royals played the final frame with just 4 defenseman, 3 of them rookies.  According to Cooper, “It was pretty impressive, they got some good minutes.  They’re all smart players and all very coachable and they looked pretty comfortable back there.”

Brett Cote (1g 1a) and Joe Hicketts (2a) had multi-point games.

Coleman Vollrath got the start for the Royals stopping 7 of 8, Rathjen the busier of the two, turned away all 14 shots including Zach Franko in alone.  “I felt like I had a good summer, got some good training in with Brady (Robinson), good time in the gym, feeling confident, ready to go this year.” Said Rathjen.

Coleman Vollrath warms up, stopped 7 of 8.

Victoria outshot Kelowna 28-22 on the night, holding the Rockets to just 2 shots in the first.

“They were both good, Rathjen had more shots, he looked very solid, stopped some difficult shots.” commented Cooper, “Those guys are battling for a job, so it was nice to see that they both played well.”

Victoria went 2 for 8 with the man advantage, stopping 7 of 8 Kelowna power plays.
According to Rathjen, “We’ve been getting a lot closer as a group…working on structure, power play and you can see it’s working.”

It was a physical affair with the Royals taking 54 of 119 penalty minutes.  Round two goes Saturday night in Kelowna.

Note: Steven Hodges, Austin Carroll and Kade Pilton are listed 'Day to Day'.

PRE SEASON SCHEDULE:

Aug. 30 at Kamloops L 2-4
Aug. 31 Kamloops L  3-5
Sep. 7 Kelowna W 4-1
Sep. 8 at Kelowna 7:05 pm PDT
Sep. 14 at Vancouver 5:00 pm PDT
Sep. 15 Vancouver 2:05 pm PDT

Kelowna Rockets 1 at Victoria Royals 4 - Status: Final
Friday, September 7, 2012 - Maple Ridge, BC

Kelowna 0 1 0 - 1
Victoria 1 3 0 - 4

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Jones 1 (Conroy), 13:11.

Penalties-Severson Kel (hooking), 15:22; Sissons Kel (major-fighting), 20:00; Fransoo Vic (instigator, major-fighting, game misconduct), 20:00; Jones Vic (roughing), 20:00.

2nd Period-
2, Kelowna, Heffley 2 (Lees, Bell), 2:40 (PP).
3, Victoria, Walker 1 (Cote, Hicketts), 8:30 (PP).
4, Victoria, Magee 1 (Hicketts), 10:15 (PP).
5, Victoria, Cote 1 (Deacon, Fushimi), 11:54.

Penalties-Stahl Vic (high sticking), 1:47; Stahl Vic (elbowing), 3:20; Baillie Kel (interference), 7:02; Severson Kel (tripping), 9:20; Olsen Kel (hooking), 12:16; Lees Kel (instigator, major-fighting, game misconduct), 15:18; Stahl Vic (major - checking to the head, major-fighting, game misconduct, game misconduct), 15:18; Rigby Kel (roughing), 17:15; Bell Kel (roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 17:39; Nelson Vic (roughing), 17:39.

3rd Period-
No Scoring.

Penalties-Olsen Kel (interference), 3:18; Fisher Vic (holding opp. stick), 5:21; Forsyth Vic (spearing, spearing), 6:32; Severson Kel (cross checking), 11:24; Olsen Kel (checking from behind), 17:11; Stadel Kel (roughing), 17:11; Magee Vic (roughing), 17:11; Baillie Kel (roughing), 18:01; Dixon Vic (roughing), 18:01.

Shots on Goal-
Kelowna 2-8-12-22.
Victoria 8-12-8-28.

Power Play Opportunities-
Kelowna 1 / 8; Victoria 2 / 8.

Goalies-
Kelowna, Cooke 1-1-0-1 (28 shots-24 saves).
Victoria, Vollrath 1-1-0-0 (8 shots-7 saves); Rathjen 0-0-0-0 (14 shots-14 saves).

A-297
Referees-Nick Swaine (35), Matt Thurston (64).
Linesmen-Bevan Mills (98), Nathan Van Oosten (115).

ROYALS GAME STATS:

		PLAYERS	Pos.	G	A	+/-		PIM
	2	Hicketts, Joe	D	0	2	0		0
	4	Fransoo, Jordan	D	0	0	0		17
A	7	Stahl, Tyler	D	0	0	0		34
	9	Deacon, Mitch	LW	0	1	+1		0
	10	Walker, Ben	RW	1	0	0		0
A	12	Traber, Tim	RW	0	0	0		0
	14	Walker, Jack	D	0	0	+1		0
	15	Crooks, Jamie	LW	0	0	0		0
	17	Conroy, Dakota	RW	0	1	+1		0
A	18	Magee, Brandon	C	1	0	+1		2
	19	Nelson, Logan	C	0	0	0		2
	20	Fisher, Logan	C	0	0	+1		2
	23	Dixon, Kolton	D	0	0	+1		2
	24	Spencer, Clay	C	0	0	0		0
	25	Fushimi, Brandon	RW	0	1	+1		0
	26	Jones, Zane	LW	1	0	+1		2
	27	Cote, Brett	D	1	1	+2		0
	29	Forsyth, Mike	LW	0	0	0		4
		TEAM		4				0
		Goalies		GA	Mins	SH	SVS	PIM
	1	Rathjen, Jared		0	29:45	14	14	0
	35	Vollrath, Coleman		1	30:15	8	7	0
Coach: Dave Lowry Manager: Cameron Hope