Recap: Victoria 2 - Prince George 6 (Feb 1)

Chase Witala scored a hat trick to lead the Prince George Cougars to a 6-2 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals Friday night.

Polivka stops Fontaine on a short handed penalty shot Friday.

Hodges mixes it up.

It was the Royals first loss at the CN Centre since the team relocated to the Island.  Victoria leads the 8 game season series 5-2, and will have a rematch Saturday night.

Witala struck once in the first and early in the second before Alex Gogolev (18th) scored a 4 on 4 goal to cut the lead in half. 

The Cougars then struck 3 times in a span of 3:06, the later two shorthanded.  First Tanner Lishchynsky on a shot from the point, then Colin Jacobs with short handed, penalty shot marker. Dallas Ehrhardt stepped out of the penalty box while as his club was killing a 5-3 and scored short handed to give Prince George a 5-1 lead.  The Royals would reply on the power play as Logan Fisher would net his 3rd of the year tipping a Jack Walker point shot past Engel.

Royals power play went 1 for 7

In the third Witala finished off the scoring with his 3rd of the night to snap the Cougars 2 game slide and move his club to within 4 points of the 8th place Thunderbirds.

There was a second short handed penalty shot in the game, awarded to Jarrett Fontaine in the third period who was stopped by Patrik Polivka.

Coleman Vollrath was relieved after stopping 20 of 24, while Patrik Polivka stopped 8 of 10.  Mac Engel made 28 saves for the victory.

The Royals power play went 1 for 7 while stopping all 5 Cougar man advantages.

Colin Jacobs scores on Coleman Vollrath on a SH Penalty Shot

Victoria’s Jamie Crooks had his 4 game point streak snapped (2g, 2a).  Joe Hicketts picked up 2 assists in the loss, while Prince George got multiple point contributions from Dallas Ehrhardt (1g 2a) and Troy Bourke (2a).

The Americans overtook the Chiefs for 4th in the West with a win over the Silvertips Friday.  Victoria is 4 points back of now 5th place Spokane and have a game in hand on the Chiefs.

It’s now back to back road losses for the Royals on consecutive nights, after falling 6-1 against the Rockets Thursday.

-mm

Royals bench in PG

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Victoria Royals 2 at Prince George Cougars 6 - Status: Final
Friday, February 1, 2013 - CN Centre - Prince George, BC

Victoria 0 2 0 - 2
Prince George 1 4 1 - 6

1st Period-
1, Prince George, Witala 12 (Ehrhardt), 3:39.

Penalties-Hanes P.g (roughing), 5:57; Walker Vic (checking to the head), 6:43; Hodges Vic (charging), 13:00.

2nd Period-
2, Prince George, Witala 13 (Bourke), 0:13.
3, Victoria, Gogolev 18 (Hicketts, Fransoo), 3:59.
4, Prince George, Lishchynsky 2 (Ehrhardt, Engel), 5:40.
5, Prince George, Jacobs 18   7:14 (SH TXT_PS).
6, Prince George, Ehrhardt 4 (Fontaine), 8:46 (SH).
7, Victoria, Fisher 3 (Walker, Hicketts), 14:01 (PP).

Penalties-Kanzig Vic (hooking), 0:54; Hodges Vic (roughing), 3:15; Rosinskis P.g (roughing), 3:15; Mylchreest P.g (delay of game), 6:19; Ehrhardt P.g (tripping), 6:39; Roulston P.g (tripping), 12:05; Fushimi Vic (major-fighting), 15:01; Pochiro P.g (slashing, major-fighting), 15:01.

3rd Period-
8, Prince George, Witala 14 (Bourke, Mykitiuk), 15:40.

Penalties-Mylchreest P.g (hooking), 0:31; Walker Vic (high sticking), 7:56; Bourke P.g (interference), 12:46; Hicketts Vic (interference), 16:27.

Shots on Goal-
Victoria 8-14-8-30.
Prince George 18-9-7-34.

Power Play Opportunities-
Victoria 1 / 7;
Prince George 0 / 5.

Goalies-
Victoria,
Vollrath 2-6-0-1 (24 shots-20 saves);
Polivka 23-11-1-2 (10 shots-8 saves).

Prince George, Engel 7-17-1-4 (30 shots-28 saves).

A-1,518
Referees-Tyler Adair (58), Chris Crich (20).
Linesmen-Ron Dietterle (121), Adam Hyatt (16).