Tuesday 6 December 2011

TRI 6 - VIC 2


ROYALS DROPPED ON HOME ICE BY TRI-CITY
by Dustin Forbes BCIT INTERN
The Victoria Royals opened up a two game set on Tuesday night at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre against the Tri-City Americans, but the result was a familiar one; the Royals were defeated 6-2 by the Americans in front of 4,600 spectators at the barn on Blanshard. Brendan Shinnimin and Justin Feser lead the Americans, each scoring twice in the game.
Despite the 6-2 loss on the scoreboard, the play wasn’t as indicative, as the Royals outshot the Americans 32-27 and 13-6 in the third period. The Americans capitalized on their scoring opportunities, while the Royals did not. In the game, the Royals had three two-on-ones and two breakaways – combined resulted in one shot on goal and one goal post.
Marc Habscheid Coach / GM of Victoria thoughts post game:
 
It was a carbon-copy start for the Royals; they found themselves down a pair just 9:27 into the hockey game as Mason Wilgosh and Justin Feser scored for the Americans early in the game. Zane Jones cut the Tri-City lead to one, when he chipped in his sixth goal of the season with 1:23 remaining in the first period – Austin Carroll and Ben Walker picked up assists on the goal; Walker's first WHL assist.
Just over four minutes into the second period, Brendan Shinnimin scored his 12th of the year to chase Royals netminder, Keith Hamilton – Jared Rathjen came in to relieve Hamilton. Tri-City would add two more in the period. Tyson Dallman scored his first of the season before Justin Feser added his second of the game to make it a 5-1 Americans lead after forty minutes of play. 
Early in the third, Robin Soudek notched his 17th goal of the year on the powerplay. Brandon Magee and Kevin Sundher drew assists on the goal that made it 5-2. That would be all the Royals would get on the scoreboard. Brendan Shinnimin added insult to injury when he scored his second of the evening to seal a 6-2 victory for the visiting Americans.
Following the game, Head Coach and General Manager of the Royals, Marc Habscheid said, “The last five or six games we could’ve easily have won all those games. We haven’t one time it’s this, next time it’s that. But our shots have been down and our chances against have been down and that’s good.”
With the loss, the Royals drop to .500 on home ice, and are winless in 4 at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. The Royals have a chance at redemption Wednesday night as the two teams do things over in the second of the back-to-back at the Save-On Foods Memorial Centre. Puck drops at 7:05 Pacific Time.

Assistant Coach Enio Sacilotto's post game comments:

 
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