Recap: Victoria 5 - Tri City 3 (Feb 8)

The Victoria Royals (31-19-1-3, 66pts) move into sole possesion of 4th in the West with a 5-3 road victory over the Tri City Americans (31-20-1-2, 65pts) Friday night.

Brandon Magee scored his 27th and 28th of the year in a 5-3 victory.

“We’ve come a long way this season, it’s nice to see our hard work pay off…it was great to see all the guys come together for a huge game and a big win.”  - Tim Traber, Royals Forward

Patrik Polivka earned his 27th win with 32 saves

The Royals leap frogged from 6th into 4th, coupled with a Chiefs loss at the Ice.  Victoria now leads Tri City by one point and Spokane by two, a team they’ll face next on Sunday at 6pm.

Brandon Magee scored twice, overcoming a 2-1 second period deficit, while Ben Walker (1g 2a) had his second consecutive 3 point night.  Patrik Polivka earned his 27th win of the season with a sensational 32 save performance and 2nd star honours.

The power play was instrumental according to Royals Assistant Coach Enio Sacilotto,

National Anthem

“It was our night on the power play going 4 for 6, and that was a huge part of the game, because once we took the lead going into the third period, I thought the (final frame) was fairly evenly played – so kudos to our (players) for a great night.”

The victory extends their winning streak to 4 games, as they kicked a 6 game in 10 night road trip.

Sacilotto on how the team pulled together,

“It was a great team effort, you can see how they’re all playing for each other, it’s a positive atmosphere on the team right now…” 

Austin Carroll tips a shot on Luke Lee-Knight

The club blocked many shots especially while short handed, ultimately stopping 5 of 6 American man advantages.

“When you watch a hockey team play and everybody to a man is tyring to blocking shots, then you know they’re playing for each other, sacrificing their bodies…it’s a total team effort and that’s what we got here tonight.”

The Royals opened the scoring on the power play just 1:22 in on Steven Hodges 22nd of the year.  Victoria then shut down 3 consecutive American power plays.  Jesse Mychan tied it up for the Americans before the period was out.

Justin Feser gave Tri City their first lead of the game in the second, but Brandon Magee’s 27th of year with the man advantage tied the game at 2.  It was Magee’s 50th in a Royals Jersey.  He then added his 2nd of the night with :48 seconds left in the middle frame to take a 3-2 lead into the third.

#2 Joe Hicketts

Jordan Fransoo (4th) and Ben Walker (15th) added back to back power play markers in the third to give Victoria a 3 goal cushion.  Feser added his second of the night in the final minute with netminder Luke Lee-Knight on the bench while on the power play.

The Royals take 7 of 8 points from the Americans in the season series (3-0-1-0).

The Americans who had 5 days in between games coming into the contest, saw their 3 game win streak snapped.

#27 Brett Cote had 2 assists

It’s Victoria’s 31st victory of the year and now just 2 wins and 8 points back from the franchise’s most successful season (33-31-4-4, 74pts) in 09-10.

It’s Magee’s 5th multi goal game of the year, snapping a 5 game goal less drought.  Defenseman Brett Cote had 2 helpers and rookie rear guard Ryan Gagnon was involved in a spirited affair with Parker Bowles late in the third.

Captain Tyler Stahl finished his 8 game suspension and is set to rejoin the club.

“He’s one of our key guys, he’s our Captain and our leader so that’s going to be a big boost…and we’re going to be even stronger with him in the line up.”

Victoria also scratched; Alex Gogolev (Lower, Undetermined), Logan Nelson (Lower, 2 weeks) and Luke Harrison (Upper, Indefinite).  Trent Lofthouse missed his 5th in a row. 

After Sunday’s game at Spokane, the road trip continues with stops at Kootenay Wednesday, Red Deer Friday, Calgary Saturday and Edmonton Sunday.

- Marlon Martens

Victoria Royals 5 at Tri-City Americans 3 - Status: Final
Friday, February 8, 2013 - Toyota Center - Kennewick, WA

Victoria 1 2 2 - 5
Tri-City 1 1 1 - 3

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Hodges 22   1:42 (PP).
2, Tri-City, Mychan 11 (Rankin, Strömwall), 13:17.

Penalties-Nickles T.c (elbowing), 0:38; Fisher Vic (delay of game), 5:13; Cote Vic (tripping), 8:15; Fransoo Vic (tripping), 9:17.

2nd Period-
3, Tri-City, Feser 30 (Strömwall, Yuen), 6:58.
4, Victoria, Magee 27 (Carroll, Cote), 10:15 (PP).
5, Victoria, Magee 28 (Walker, Hicketts), 19:12.

Penalties-Carroll Vic (high sticking), 2:40; Walter T.c (slashing), 8:23; Traber Vic (cross checking), 10:35; Nickles T.c (high sticking), 16:28; Traber Vic (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 18:31; Yuen T.c (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 18:31.

3rd Period-
6, Victoria, Fransoo 4 (Cote, Walker), 11:52 (PP).
7, Victoria, Walker 15   15:23 (PP).
8, Tri-City, Feser 31 (Strömwall, Gutierrez), 19:16 (PP).

Penalties-Rankin T.c (slashing), 11:46; Mychan T.c (charging), 14:36; Gagnon Vic (major-fighting), 16:15; Bowles T.c (instigator, major-fighting, game misconduct), 16:15; Deacon Vic (interference), 17:34.

Shots on Goal-
Victoria 3-13-10-26.
Tri-City 10-15-10-35.

Power Play Opportunities-
Victoria 4 / 6;
Tri-City 1 / 6.

Goalies-
Victoria, Polivka 27-11-1-2 (35 shots-32 saves).
Tri-City, Lee-Knight 10-6-0-0 (26 shots-21 saves).

A-4,711
Referees-Jeff Ingram (82), Jason Nissen (91).
Linesmen-Jarrod Boman (116), Trevor Shively (119).