Recap: VIC 4 - SC 3 OTW

The Royals celebrate a 4-3 overtime win against the Broncos

Axel Blomqvist scored the overtime winner as the visiting Victoria Royals (21-13-0-1, 43pts) beat the Swift Current Broncos 4-3 Thursday night.

“I loved our start, I really liked the commitment the guys made and attention to detail.  We had a lot of guys that sacraficed and blocked shots and paid a price…” – Head Coach Dave Lowry

The Royals snap a 2 game losing streak and move back into sole possession of 4th in the West.  The Broncos dropped their 2nd in a row.

Steven Hodges #11 had a goal and an assist

Victoria was without 6 regulars in the line up as Brandon Magee was serving the first of a two game suspension for a match penalty at the end of the Vancouver game.  Austin Carroll (inj) & Logan Nelson (upper 7-10 days) joined defensemen Jordan Fransoo (upper, 2 weeks), Joe Hicketts (upper, indefinite) and forward Jack Walker (illness, day to day) on the injured list. 

Time Out Royals

“It shows our group that it doesn’t matter who’s in the line up, if your committed to playing a certain way your going to give yourself an opportunity to win.” Said Lowry on the depeleted line up.  “We needed bodies, we needed effort and we got that.”

The Royals had two players making their debut.  Affiliate 16 year old forward Matthew Dykstra played his first WHL game, a 4th round pick in 2012.  17 year old forward Braden Oleksyn acquired in a deal with the Hitmen earned his first WHL point with an assist.

Victoria jumped out to an early 3-0 lead with a trio of goals in a span of 1:45, all by the 3:35 mark of the first.  Swift clawed back with a goal in the first, and two in the third to force overtime.

Blomqvist had a 3 point night with a goal and two assists, Steven Hodges had a goal and an assist while Ben Walker extended his goal scoring streak to 4 games (5g 1a).  Tyler Soy rounded out the scoring with 9th of the year to lead all 16 years old in that department.

Ben Walker (1g), tracks Julius Honka (1g 1a)

Patrick Polivka earned his 14th win with 27 saves, while Landon Bow started but left after giving up 3 goals on 4 shots, but returned at the start of the second allowing 4 goals on 28 shots, Eetu Laurikainen stopped all 5 shots he faced in the first.

The Royals went 0 for 4 with the man advantage, however two were abberviated.  The Broncos went 1 for 6 as Victoria blocked numerous shots and got timely saves from Polivka.

The Royals improve to 3-0 in overtime games and 10-5 on the road.

Victoria’s 5 game road trip continues in Medicine Hat Saturday, Lethbridge Sunday afternoon, and wraps up in Edmonton Tuesday.

- Marlon Martens

Victoria Royals 4 (OT) at Swift Current Broncos 3 - Status: Final
Thursday, December 12, 2013 - Credit Union i-plex - Swift Current, SK

Victoria 3 0 0 1 - 4
Swift Current 1 0 2 0 - 3

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Walker 13 (Oleksyn, Blomqvist), 1:50.
2, Victoria, Soy 9   2:46.
3, Victoria, Hodges 4 (Blomqvist, Schacher), 3:35.
4, Swift Current, Honka 12 (Cave, Martin), 10:40 (PP).

Penalties-Reddekopp Vic (tripping), 6:13; Walker Vic (holding), 10:08; Heatherington S.c (hooking), 18:08.

2nd Period-
No Scoring.

Penalties-Oleksyn Vic (tripping), 8:50; Bosc S.c (tripping), 16:12; Hodges Vic (holding), 16:25; Heatherington S.c (tripping), 18:18; Cote Vic (slashing), 18:35.

3rd Period-
5, Swift Current, Gawdin 4 (Honka), 5:18.
6, Swift Current, Merkley 14 (DeBrusk, Black), 14:31.

Penalties-Kohlhauser Vic (major-fighting), 6:06; Odgers S.c (major-fighting), 6:06; Reddekopp Vic (hooking), 9:52; Zinkan S.c (holding), 12:01.

OT Period-
7, Victoria, Blomqvist 10 (Reddekopp, Hodges), 3:31.

Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-
Victoria 9-8-13-3-33.
Swift Current 7-9-14-2-32.

Power Play Opportunities-
Victoria 0 / 4;
Swift Current 1 / 6.

Goalies-
Victoria, Polivka 14-9-0-0 (32 shots-29 saves).
Swift Current,
Laurikainen 11-10-0-2 (5 shots-5 saves);
Bow 8-2-0-1 (28 shots-24 saves).

A-1,777
Referees-Adam Byblow (23), Cole Hamm (51).
Linesmen-Jonny Bast (129), Jason Roy (94).