Recap: VIC 6 - VAN 4

Steven Hodges and Alex Gogolev each had three point nights as the Victoria Royals took the season opener 6-4 in Vancouver against the Giants Friday night.

Victoria built up period leads of 2-1, and 4-2, and held a three goal lead in the third before Vancouver pulled to within one.  An insurance marker into an empty sealed the victory, the clubs first regulation win in Vancouver.

Victoria wins 6-4 in Vancouver

“It was a great effort,” said Royals Assistant Coach Enio Sacilotto, “I think we could’ve been better in the 2nd and 3rd, but we had a great first, we got the goals we needed in the second and it was a little tight there in the end, but we were able to hang on and it was  super victory for us, first game of the year, outstanding.”

They’ll face each other in Victoria Saturday night, the second of ten season encounters.

The games first star, Steven Hodges who scored Victoria’s first ever goal a year ago in Vancouver, scored the season opener again, and was named first star with a 2 goal, 1 assist performance.  Alex Gogolev in his first game as a Royal chipped in with 3 helpers. 

The firsts would continue with defenseman Joe Hicketts (1g, 1a) scoring his first WHL goal. “Joe is really strong, he had a great game, just 16 years old.  People in Victoria are in for a real treat watching him play all season long.”  commented Sacilotto. 

Netminder Patrik 'Real Deal' Polivka

Logan Fisher also netted a goal in his first league contest.  Brandon Magee on a great second effort also scored, while Ben Walker popped the water bottle on a breakaway.

It was a solid effort throughout the team as Sacilotto was particularily pleased with the line of Tim Traber, Luke Harrison and Taylor Crunk as a, “…checking, battling line.”

Sacilotto was also impressed with netminder Patrik Polivka who stopped 26 of 30 for his first WHL victory.  “He was outstanding and kept us in the game, he basically won it for us in third.”

The Royals power play was third overall in the preseason and continued to succeed, going 2 for 4, while the penalty kill stopped 4 of 5.

Sacilotto knows the energy will be high for the home opener Saturday night.  “It’s going to be exciting, and the adrenaline will be flowing.”  While the celebration is sweet, it won’t be for long.  “We’ll enjoy tonight, and regroup tomorrow morning, get a good breakfast, a good ferry ride home and we’ll be ready to roll.”

Pregame show at 6:45, with the puck drop at 7:05.  Catch all the Royals play by play action on The Zone @ 91.3 FM.

Victoria Royals 6 at Vancouver Giants 4 - Status: Final
Friday, September 21, 2012 - Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver, BC

Victoria 2 2 2 - 6
Vancouver 1 1 2 - 4

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Hodges 1 (Gogolev), 2:25 (PP).
2, Vancouver, Franson 1 (Burns), 5:25.
3, Victoria, Hodges 2 (Gogolev, Cote), 15:16 (PP).

Penalties-Sward Van (tripping), 1:06; Magee Vic (tripping), 1:34; Makin Van (delay of game), 2:00; Carroll Vic (charging), 9:39; Popoff Van (elbowing), 14:44; Harrison Vic (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 16:59; Houck Van (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 16:59.

2nd Period-
4, Victoria, Magee 1   4:51.
5, Victoria, Walker 1 (Hicketts), 15:37.
6, Vancouver, Franson 2 (Tvrdon, Makin), 18:20 (PP).

Penalties-Carroll Vic (checking to the head), 18:01; Kulak Van (hooking), 18:35.

3rd Period-
7, Victoria, Hicketts 1 (Hodges, Cote), 0:37.
8, Vancouver, Kulak 1 (Houck, Musil), 10:46.
9, Vancouver, Burns 1 (Houck), 13:53.
10, Victoria, Fisher 1 (Gogolev), 19:02 (EN).

Penalties-Cote Vic (cross checking), 11:45; Magee Vic (major-fighting), 16:41; Walker Vic (checking from behind), 16:41; Vickerman Van (major-fighting), 16:41.

Shots on Goal-
Victoria 8-6-4-18.
Vancouver 6-14-10-30.

Power Play Opportunities-
Victoria 2 / 4; Vancouver 1 / 5.

Goalies-
Victoria, Polivka 1-0-0-0 (30 shots-26 saves).
Vancouver, Liston 0-1-0-0 (17 shots-12 saves).

ROYALS BEST GIANTS IN SEASON OPENER

Victoria wins 6-4 Over Vancouver to open the 2012-13 season

For Immediate Release

Friday, September 21, 2012

Vancouver, BC – In a Friday night matchup, the Victoria Royals kicked off their 2012-13 WHL regular season with a trip to the Pacific Coliseum to take on the Vancouver Giants. The Royals’ gave Patrik Polivka the nod in net while the Giants’ countered with Liam Liston.

Victoria got on the board early when they capitalized on a 4-on-3 powerplay. Alex Gogolev corralled a Logan Nelson shot to the right of the Vancouver goal and fed a cross-crease pass to Steven Hodges. The Royals’ forward buried the shot for his first goal of the season at the 2:25 mark. The Giants equalized three minutes later when Cain Franson collected the loose puck and skated out from behind the Victoria net before he beat Polivka high to the glove side. The Royals’ regained the lead at 15:16 of the period with a second powerplay tally of the period. As Victoria gained the Vancouver zone Gogolev slipped a pass to Hodges on the left wing and he fired a shot from the circle that beat Liston to the short side. Victoria headed to the intermission in front 2-1.

Brandon Magee increased the Royals’ lead to two goals 4:51 into the second frame. After a wrap-around attempt, the Victoria forward collected his own rebound and snapped home his first of the season past the Vancouver netminder. Ben Walker would make it 4-1 for Victoria at 15:37 after he collected a flip pass from Joe Hicketts at center ice. The Victoria forward sprung into the offensive zone on a breakaway and fired the puck over the glove of Liston. The Giants’ cut the lead in half with under two minutes to go before the intermission. Franson received a pass in the slot from Marek Tvrdon before he slid the puck past the left pad of Polivka. After 40 minutes Victoria led 4-2.

Victoria jumped out to a quick start in the third period as Hicketts tallied his first WHL goal. The 16-year-old rookie wristed a shot from the left point as Royals’ powerplay ended that beat a screened Liston to go up 5-2. Vancouver cut into the Victoria lead just past the halfway point of the period. Forward Brett Kulak banged home the loose puck at the right of the net after Jackson Houck gained the zone, but was tripped up in front of the Victoria goal. The Giants clawed to within one goal at 13:53 after Houck rang a shot off the far post. The rebound found the stick of Nathan Burns who slotted the puck into the open net. Logan Fisher sealed the victory for the Royals’ with an empty net marker for his first career WHL goal. Victoria 6 Vancouver 4.

Victoria went 2/4 = 50.0% on the power play, while Vancouver was 1/5 = 20.0%. The Giants’ outshot the Royals 30-18.

The Royals will kick off their 2012-13 home schedule tomorrow night when they host the Vancouver Giants at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. Tickets are still available at the Select Your Tickets Box Office at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre beginning at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. The Royals encourage fans to buy their tickets early to avoid line-ups prior to the game.