Recap: VAN 2 - VIC 4

The Royals battled back to win 4-2

Brandon Magee scored twice to lead the Victoria Royals over the visiting Vancouver Giants 4-2 Friday night in the first of back to back meetings.

The Royals earned their 3rd come from behind victory of the season as they trailed 2-1 heading into the third before scoring 3 unanswered.

"We got away with it tonight.  You've got 3 forwards that don't get a shift in the 3rd - that's indicative of how your team was playing...I give the 9 guys that went up front and played credit because they found a way to get it done.”   – Head Coach Dave Lowry

Victoria has now back to back games and 10 of their last 12, snapping Vancouvers string of points in 11 straight.

“…still I think we only played 20 hard minutes tonight, and that was in the third period.  Tomorrow night we’re going to have to be a lot better from start to finish for a full 60 minutes.”  - Royals forward Brandon Magee

Trace Elson opened the scoring tipping a Dalton Thrower point shot past Patrik Polivka. 
After Tim Traber was issued a boarding major and a game misconduct after a hit on Brandon Magee, Magee would exact revenge with a power play goal to even the score at 1.

“It’s a fast game and it happens quick.  I don’t think Tim (Traber) intentionally ran me from behind, but it happened.  What happens on the ice – it stays on the ice.  I’m sure we’ll still talk after this.”  Said Magee on the hit.

Crunk fires the winner

Cain Franson scored the lone goal on the second on the power play.

Down 2-1 after 40 minutes, Ben Walker drew his club even with his 10th of the year.  Taylor Crunk buried his 3rd of the year for the eventual game winner as Magee added his 10th into an empty net for the insurance marker.

“I just kinda closed my eyes and shot it – and it went through..”  said Taylor Crunk on scoring the go ahead goal.

Vancouver defensemen Brett Kulak and Dalton Thrower ended with a pair of assists each.

Victoria remains 4th in the West, now 8 points ahead of 8th place Vancouver.

The Royals were 1 for 5 on the power play, while the Giants went 1 for 2.

Axel Blomqvist drives the net

Patrik Polivka earned his 14th win of the season with 24 saves, while former Royals Jared Rathjen allowed 3 goals on 25 shots for his 3rd regulation loss of the year.

Victoria takes a 2-1 season series lead, and will meet Saturday on the Island for the second of three straight.

-Marlon Martens

Vancouver Giants 2 at Victoria Royals 4 - Status: Final
Friday, December 6, 2013 - Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena - Victoria, BC

Vancouver 1 1 0 - 2
Victoria 1 0 3 - 4

1st Period-
1, Vancouver, Elson 2 (Kulak, Thrower), 2:27.
2, Victoria, Magee 9 (Schacher, Blomqvist), 13:34 (PP).

Penalties-Trzonkowski Van (tripping), 7:09; Orban Van (roughing), 10:44; Traber Van (major-boarding, game misconduct), 10:44; Hodges Vic (roughing), 10:44; Nelson Vic (interference), 17:33.

2nd Period-
3, Vancouver, Franson 12 (Kulak, Thrower), 12:31 (PP).

Penalties-Osipov Van (holding), 5:14; Trzonkowski Van (interference), 8:14; Reddekopp Vic (interference), 11:50.

3rd Period-
4, Victoria, Walker 9 (Fushimi), 6:22.
5, Victoria, Crunk 3 (Skapski, Fisher), 9:50.
6, Victoria, Magee 10   19:43 (EN).

Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-
Vancouver 6-9-10-25.
Victoria 10-10-6-26.

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

Goalies-
Vancouver, Rathjen 5-3-2-1 (25 shots-22 saves).
Victoria, Polivka 14-9-0-0 (25 shots-23 saves).

A-4,315
Referees-Tyler Adair (58), Colin Watt (72).
Linesmen-Jacob Hill (122), Bevan Mills (98).