Recap: SPK 1 - VIC 8

Travis Brown had 4 points to help lead the Victoria Royals past the visiting Spokane Chiefs 8-1 Friday night in the first of back to back games.

The Royals had goals from 8 different players, in their biggest offensive output of the season, and largest winning margin.

Victoria earns back to back victories, while snapping Spokane’s 7 game win streak.

After tying the game at 1 late in the first, the Royals exploded for a 4 goal middle frame, and added 3 more in the third.  Victoria scored 3 goals while playing 4 on 4, and 2 while on the power play.

Coleman Vollrath stopped 32 of 33 and was named 2nd star.  Garret Houghson started for Spokane, but was relieved in the middle frame after allowing 3 goals on 17 shots.  Tyson Verhelst then allowed 5 goals on 15 shots.

The Royals went 2 for 3 on the power play while shutting down all 3 opposition man advantages.

Brown in his 250th game, had a goal and three assists, and moves into a tie for 2nd in overall defenseman scoring with Brandon’s Ivan Provorov at 37 points, 1 back of Joe Hicketts.  Brown leads all defenders in goals with 14 and 8 power play markers.  He’s riding a 5 game point streak with 10 points (2g 8a).

Greg Chase had a goal and two assists, while Tyler Soy had 3 helpers.  Chase extends his point streak to 4 games with 10 points (2g 8a).  Soy pushes his streak to 5 games with 11 points in that span (5g 6a).

Jack Walker and Austin Carroll scored a goal and an assist each.  For Carroll it was his 25th good for 4th in the WHL, and tops in the league in power play goals at 12.

Victoria also got singles from Brandon Magee, Brandon Fushimi, Chaz Reddekopp and Taylor Crunk.

It was Magee’s first game back after missing 5 due to injury.

15 year old defenseman Scott Walford made his regular season debut with the club, the Royals 18th overall selection in the 2014 bantam draft.  He was a +1, and paired up with Travis Brown.

Adam Helewka scored the lone goal for the Chiefs as he opened the scoring with his 19th.  Kailer Yamamoto’s 5 game goal streak was halted, but picked up an assist, remaining 2nd in rookie scoring with 33 points.

Victoria ties the season series at a game a piece after falling 4-2 in Spokane in November.

After the Chiefs on Saturday, the Royals entertain the Tigers Wednesday, and then face the Cougars for a pair the following weekend to close out a 7 game homestand.

- Marlon Martens

Spokane Chiefs 1 at Victoria Royals 8 - Status: Final
Friday, January 2, 2015 - Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena - Victoria, BC

Spokane 1 0 0 - 1
Victoria 1 4 3 - 8

1st Period-
1, Spokane, Helewka 19 (Ka. Yamamoto, Brooks), 3:11.
2, Victoria, Chase 8 (Brown), 19:47.

Penalties-Chase Vic (slashing), 4:51; Whittingham Spo (roughing), 18:48; Magee Vic (cross checking), 18:48.

2nd Period-
3, Victoria, Reddekopp 3 (Soy, Chase), 12:20.
4, Victoria, Magee 11 (Carroll, Brown), 13:11.
5, Victoria, Walker 8 (Hannoun, Blomqvist), 16:37 (PP).
6, Victoria, Crunk 6 (Walker, Fisher), 18:11.

Penalties-Fiala Spo (cross checking), 6:48; Helewka Spo (roughing), 11:09; Gagnon Vic (roughing), 11:09; McAndrews Spo (kneeing), 15:24; Zwerger Spo (roughing), 17:08; Ibragimov Vic (roughing), 17:08.

3rd Period-
7, Victoria, Carroll 25 (Soy, Brown), 10:32 (PP).
8, Victoria, Brown 14 (Soy, Chase), 12:45.
9, Victoria, Fushimi 9 (Palmer, Gagnon), 18:07.

Penalties-Palmer Vic (hooking), 3:18; Fiala Spo (interference), 10:24; Walker Vic (hooking), 18:44.

Shots on Goal-
Spokane 13-10-10-33.
Victoria 7-13-12-32.

Power Play Opportunities-
Spokane 0 / 3;
Victoria 2 / 3.

Goalies-
Spokane, Hughson 14-9-3-0 (17 shots-14 saves); Verhelst 7-4-0-0 (15 shots-10 saves). Victoria, Vollrath 16-11-2-1 (33 shots-32 saves).

A-4,601
Referees-Ryan Benbow (62), Adam Griffiths (36).
Linesmen-Blake Copeland (95), Riley Friesen (76).