Sunday 31 March 2013

Recap Game 5: Victoria 4 - Kamloops 2

Brett Cote scored twice including the winner as the Royals doubled the Blazers 4-2
Polivka made 47 saves
Brett Cote scored twice and Patrik Polivka made 47 saves to backstop the Victoria Royals to a 4-2 victory over the host Kamloops Blazers Saturday night.

“We played with a lot discipline, a lot of composure and we knew we had to play simple and our goaltending once again, was great.” – Dave Lowry, Royals Head Coach

The Royals stay alive, and force a game 6 back at Bear Mountain Monday, trailing 3-2 in the best of seven Western Quarterfinals playoffs.

According to Lowry, “Our guys did a real good job staying in the moment, and they’ve earned that opportunity to play another game.” 
Logan Nelson adds the insurance marker
After leading 1-0 after 20 minutes, the Royals trailed 2-1 in the second.  Cote tied the game late in the final minute of the second period, and then broke the 2-2 tie 11:25 into the third for the eventual game winner.  Logan Nelson added the insurance marker into an empty net.

Cote & Kessy mix it up
“Cote was huge, we need scoring throughout our line up.  If you can get your back end scoring and contributing in the offense – especially off the rush, that was real big.”  Lowry said.

Jamie Crooks and Logan Nelson had a goal and an assist each.

Cote also stymied Brendan Ranford on a sure goal, getting his stick on the shot.

“I have no idea how that hit my stick, but I’m so glad it did.” Cote said with a grin, “We’re confident, but we know they’re a very good team and it’s not going to be easy.”

Polivka stops Kessey
Chase Souto and 41 goal man Colin Smith added his first of the post season in the middle frame.  Cole Cheveldave allowed 4 goals on 25 shots.

Polivka was brilliant, especially in the second period making 20 saves.

“It’s awesome, it’s unreal…” Polivka said about the victory, “Every win against a team like that especially in the playoffs, it’s good.”

Kamloops outshot Victoria 49-25 overall, and 202 to 125 in the five games combined.

“We played a simple game, it wasn’t pretty for us but at the end of the day it was effective.  That’s the way we’re going to have to continue to play.” Lowry said.

There were no penalties called in the first period, with the Royals going 0 for 1on the power play and stopping 3 of 4 Blazer man advantage.

Ben Walker got stopped in alone by Cheveldave
Tim Bozon missed his second in a row for Kamloops as Victoria was again without Brandon Magee (Upper), D Tyler Stahl (Lower, day to day), Alex Gogolev (Lower, indefinite), F Luke Harrison (Upper, indifinite) and D Ryan Gagnon (Upper).  Austin Carroll also did not dress (Upper).  Kolton Dixon played his first WHL post season game.


Tim Traber stopped by Cheveldave
The Royals will now travel back home to face the Blazers in Game 6 of their WHL Western Conference Quarter-Final series on Monday, April 1. Puck drop for Game 6 is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. at Bear Mountain Arena. Fans are reminded that the Select Your Tickets box office will be open on Sunday, March 31 and Monday, April 1 despite the holiday.

Monday will also mark a special playoff edition of Money Mart Mad Monday! Fans can purchase a limited number of standing room tickets for just $6.00 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Select Your Tickets box office. Tickets are available in-person only and limited to four per customer.

Here Comes the Blue! Tickets for Game 6 at Bear Mountain Arena are still available, but going fast. Fans are encouraged to order tickets in advance by calling 250-220-7777, going online to www.selectyourtickets.com or visiting the Select Your Tickets box office.
The Royals celebrate their 4th goal
Victoria Royals 4 at Kamloops Blazers 2 - Status: Final
Saturday, March 30, 2013 - Interior Savings Centre - Kamloops, BC

Victoria 1 1 2 - 4
Kamloops 0 2 0 - 2

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Crooks 3 (Fransoo, Fushimi), 8:03.

Penalties-No Penalties

2nd Period-
2, Kamloops, Souto 1 (Needham), 1:28.
3, Kamloops, Smith 1 (Lipon, Ranford), 11:54 (PP).
4, Victoria, Cote 1 (Hodges), 19:21.

Penalties-Crooks Vic (delay of game), 6:02; Fransoo Vic (high sticking), 10:31; Fisher Vic (roughing), 17:35; Rehill Kam (roughing, roughing), 17:35; Nelson Vic (checking from behind), 19:06.

3rd Period-
5, Victoria, Cote 2 (Nelson, Crooks), 11:25.
6, Victoria, Nelson 2   19:26.

Penalties-Kanzig Vic (slashing), 0:57; Walker Vic (embellishment), 6:17; Souto Kam (tripping), 6:17.

Shots on Goal-
Victoria 7-9-9-25.
Kamloops 12-21-16-49.

Power Play Opportunities-
Victoria 0 / 1;
Kamloops 1 / 4.

Goalies-
Victoria, Polivka 2-2-1-0 (49 shots-47 saves).
Kamloops, Cheveldave 3-2-0-0 (25 shots-21 saves).

A-4,581
Referees-Adam Byblow (23), Brett Iverson (24).
Linesmen-Ryan Gibbons (73), Justin Hull (49).

Friday 29 March 2013

Preview GAME 5: Victoria at Kamloops (March 30)

Ben Walker and Steven Hodges with an opportunity to score Tuesday night.
The Victoria Royals down 3 games to 1 to the Kamloops Blazers need a win to stay alive, as the best of seven playoff shifts back to the Interior Savings Center Saturday.

Pregame show at 6:40 on The Zone @ 91.3fm or online at www.thezone.fm

“We have to go in and win a hockey game, we have to make sure we raise our level of desperation.”
-  Dave Lowry, Royals Head Coach

The Royals fell 5-4 in overtime Thursday night in front of a sell out at Bear Mountain as Dylan Willick scored the game winner.
Polivka made 43 saves Tuesday at the Bear

“We have to hit the road and go into a tough building and win a game, that’s all that matters right now.”
- Ben Cooper, Royals Assistant Coach

Kale Kessy had a hatrick as his line with Colin Smith and JC Lipon combined for 9 points as the Blazers doubled the Royals in shots 48-24.

Patrik Polivka made 43 saves, as Victoria never trailed until the final goal, holding leads of 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3.

The Royals were without 30 goal and 60 point man Brandon Magee (Upper) last game to add to their injury woes.  He joins D Tyler Stahl (Lower, day to day), regular season leading scorer (65pts) Alex Gogolev (Lower, indefinite), F Luke Harrison (Upper, indifinite) and D Ryan Gagnon (Upper). 

Logan Nelson with a big hit on Brendan Ranford
The Blazers Tim Bozon took warm up, but did not play.

The Royals power play has been good, going 2 for 4 last game and operating at over 26% (5/19), while the Blazers are at 19% (4/21).

All four contests have essentially been one goal games, falling 3-2 in the opener, then an empty net goal to drop a 6-4 decision in Kamloops the following night.  Victoria won 2-1 on home ice Tuesday, before the 5-4 overtime loss.

General Manager Cam Hope knows the club has only won once in Kamloops this season, and while it may add confidence to the group, the statistic becomes just that.

“This is the time of year you forget about history and big picture thinking, and you narrow your focus down to the game, the shift, and what you’re doing at any moment in your shift.  Every detail counts.  Anything you do with the puck or away from the puck, can change the game.  Your focus narrows down to a razor sharp point.”

Victoria looks to stay alive down 3-1 as the series shifts to Kamloops Saturday night.

Series Stats:

Goals (15-12) in favour of Kamloops
Shots (153-100) in favour of Kamloops
Team PIM/GM: Vic 12.5 / Kam 11.5

Series Schedule:

Friday, March 22nd Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 3
Saturday, March 23rd Victoria 4 @ Kamloops 6
Tuesday, March 26th Kamloops 1 @ Victoria 2
Thursday, March 28th Kamloops 5 @ Victoria 4 Overtime
Saturday, March 30th Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m.
Monday, April 1st Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 3rd Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Previous Meetings This Season Kamloops 5 @ Victoria 4 (Mar 28 2013) Final OT
Kamloops 1 @ Victoria 2 (Mar 26 2013) Final
Victoria 4 @ Kamloops 6 (Mar 23 2013) Final
Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 3 (Mar 22 2013) Final



How the 2 teams match up
Kamloops
Victoria






Past 10 Games 3-1-0-0 1-2-1-0
Streak 1-0-0-0 1-0-1-0
Last Game 5-4 W @ Victoria (Mar 28 2013) Final OT 5-4 L vs Kamloops (Mar 28 2013) Final OT
Home Record 2-0-0-0 1-1-0-0
Away Record 1-1-0-0 0-2-0-0
GF 15  12 
GA 12  15 
PP (Overall) (4/21) 19.0 (5/19) 26.3
PP (Home) (3/11) 27.3 (2/11) 18.2
PP (Away) (1/10) 10.0 (3/8) 37.5
PK (Overall) (5/19) 73.7 (4/21) 81.0
PK (Home) (3/8) 62.5 (1/10) 90.0
PK (Away) (2/11) 81.8 (3/11) 72.7
Leading Rookie Friesen (0-0-0) Soy (1-1-2)
Most PIM Grist - 6 Kanzig - 6
Team PIM/GM 11.5/Game 12.5/Game
Leading Scorers Lipon (3-7-10) Crooks (2-3-5)
Smith (0-8-8) Hodges (2-2-4)
Kessy (4-2-6) Walker (2-2-4)
Ranford (1-4-5) Nelson (1-3-4)
Edmundson (2-2-4) Carroll (1-1-2)
Last 5 Games 5-4 W @ Victoria (Mar 28 2013) Final OT 5-4 L vs Kamloops (Mar 28 2013) Final OT
2-1 L @ Victoria (Mar 26 2013) Final 2-1 W vs Kamloops (Mar 26 2013) Final
6-4 W vs Victoria (Mar 23 2013) Final 6-4 L @ Kamloops (Mar 23 2013) Final
3-2 W vs Victoria (Mar 22 2013) Final 3-2 L @ Kamloops (Mar 22 2013) Final
Leading After 1st 1-0-0-0 1-0-1-0
Leading After 2nd 1-0-0-0 0-0-1-0
Tied After 1st 1-0-0-0 0-1-0-0
Tied After 2nd 1-1-0-0 1-1-0-0
Trailing After 1st 1-1-0-0 0-1-0-0
Trailing After 2nd 1-0-0-0 0-1-0-0
Out Shooting Opponents 3-1-0-0 0-0-0-0
Out Shot by Opponents 0-0-0-0 1-2-1-0
1-Goal Games 2-1-0-0 1-1-1-0
2-Goal Games 1-0-0-0 0-1-0-0
3-Goal Games 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0

Victoria Royals
# Player GP G A PTS PIM +/-
15 Jamie Crooks 4 2 3 5 14 1
11 Steven Hodges 4 2 2 4 12 -1
10 Ben Walker 4 2 2 4 0 -2
19 Logan Nelson 4 1 3 4 6 -2
21 Austin Carroll 4 1 1 2 2 0
8 Tyler Soy 4 1 1 2 0 1
27 Brett Cote 4 0 2 2 4 1
# Player GP W L OTL SL MIN GA GAA SV%
33 Patrik Polivka 4 1 2 1 0 255:43 14 3.28 0.908

Kamloops Blazers
# Player GP G A PTS PIM +/-
34 JC Lipon 4 3 7 10 4 6
9 Colin Smith 4 0 8 8 2 3
22 Kale Kessy 4 4 2 6 16 2
19 Brendan Ranford 4 1 4 5 10 2
7 Joel Edmundson 4 2 2 4 12 5
15 Tim Bozon 3 2 0 2 14 0
11 Dylan Willick 4 2 0 2 0 3
14 Matt Needham 4 0 2 2 4 1
21 Cole Ully 4 0 2 2 2 2
13 Marek Hrbas 4 1 0 1 2 3
3 Sam Grist 4 0 1 1 6 1
# Player GP W L OTL SL MIN GA GAA SV%
38 Cole Cheveldave 4 3 1 0 0 256:40 12 2.81 0.880

Thursday 28 March 2013

Recap GAME 4: Kamloops 5 - Victoria 4 (Overtime)

Logan Nelson scores on the power play
Dylan Willick scored the game winning goal in overtime as the Kamloops Blazers take a 3-1 series lead with a 5-4 victory Thursday night in front of a sell out crowd at Bear Mountain.

“We had a lot of guys that competed real hard, we had an opportunity to win a game and we let one slip away.” – Dave Lowry, Head Coach

Ben Walker scores on a 5 on 3 Power Play
Kale Kessy had a hatrick as his line with Colin Smith and JC Lipon combined for 9 points.  Marek Hrbas had the only goal of the third, sending the game to overtime for the first time in the series.

“This one stings, everyone’s pretty down but we don’t have a lot of time to feel sorry for ourselves.  We have to hit the road, go into a tough building and win a game, that’s all that matters.” Ben Cooper, Royals Assistant Coach

Victoria never trailed until the final goal, holding leads of 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3 into the third period.

The Royals had a goal and assist performances from Logan Nelson, Ben Walker and Jamie Crooks.  Steven Hodges had 2 assists.

Patrik Polivka saw a lot of bodies come crashing through his crease.

“It is a rule that is supposed to be called, it is something that we’ve asked to be addressed.  If our goalie is going to continue to get bumped, we’ll take a page out their book and start bumping goalies, simple…If all they’re going to do is say is it’s ‘no goal’ because you touch a goalie - incidental contact, maybe we’ll start inititating.”  Lowry said.

Nelson celebrates
Jamie Crooks celebrates
Patrik Polivka earned 2nd star honours with 43 saves, while Cole Cheveldave stopped 20 of 24 including a 2 on 1 on Brandon Fushimi in the third, and Steven Hodges short handed breakaway in the 2nd.  Fushimi rounded out the scoring for Victoria.

“He stepped up big time, both games, gives us a chance to win…”  Cooper said on Polivka.

The Royals power play was 2 for 4, while stopping all 4 Blazer chances.

The Royals were without Brandon Magee (Upper), Tyler Stahl (Lower, day to day), Alex Gogolev (Lower, indefinite), Kolton Dixon, Luke Harrison (Upper, indifinite) and Ryan Gagnon (Upper).

Victoria looks to stay alive down 3-1 as the series shifts to Kamloops Saturday night.

Captain Dylan Willick the overtime hero...
Series Schedule:

Friday, March 22nd Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 3
Saturday, March 23rd Victoria 4 @ Kamloops 6
Tuesday, March 26th Kamloops 1 @ Victoria 2 (Bear Mountain Arena)
Thursday, March 28th Kamloops 5 @ Victoria 4 Overtime (Bear Mountain Arena)
Saturday, March 30th Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m.
Monday, April 1st Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 3rd Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Kamloops Blazers 5 (OT) at Victoria Royals 4 - Status: Final OT
Thursday, March 28, 2013 - Bear Mountain Arena - Victoria, BC

Kamloops 1 2 1 1 - 5
Victoria 2 2 0 0 - 4

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Crooks 2 (Nelson, Walker), 4:01.
2, Victoria, Nelson 1 (Hodges, Hicketts), 10:38 (PP).
3, Kamloops, Kessy 2 (Lipon, Smith), 19:42.

Penalties-Thomson Kam (hooking), 10:09; Traber Vic (tripping), 11:56.

2nd Period-
4, Kamloops, Kessy 3 (Smith, Lipon), 1:22.
5, Victoria, Fushimi 1 (Soy, Lofthouse), 3:17.
6, Kamloops, Kessy 4 (Smith, Lipon), 7:16.
7, Victoria, Walker 2 (Crooks, Hodges), 9:03 (PP).

Penalties-Lipon Kam (embellishment), 3:45; Fisher Vic (tripping), 3:45; Grist Kam (high sticking), 7:29; Hansen Kam (high sticking), 8:02; Walker Vic (slashing), 12:22; Edmundson Kam (inter. on goaltender), 13:04; Crooks Vic (high sticking), 15:32; Nelson Vic (hooking), 19:58.

3rd Period-
8, Kamloops, Hrbas 1 (Needham), 15:42.

Penalties-No Penalties

OT Period-
9, Kamloops, Willick 2 (Needham, Grist), 17:47.

Penalties-No Penalties

Shots on Goal-
Kamloops 15-13-9-11-48.
Victoria 7-8-5-4-24.

Power Play Opportunities-
Kamloops 0 / 4;
Victoria 2 / 4.

Goalies-
Kamloops, Cheveldave 3-1-0-0 (24 shots-20 saves).
Victoria, Polivka 1-2-1-0 (48 shots-43 saves).

A-2,541
Referees-Mike Campbell (89), Pat Smith (12).
Linesmen-Chris Sweeting (137), Kirk Van Helvoirt (107).

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Preview: GAME 4 Kamloops at Victoria (Series 2-1 Kam)

The Victoria Royals will look to even the series at 2 games a piece, Thursday night against the visiting Kamloops Blazers at Bear Mountain Arena.

Pregame show at 6:40, with puck drop at 7:05 on The Zone @ 91.3 fm or online www.thezone.fm/listen

The Royals were 2-1 winners Tuesday night, backstopped by a 39 save performance from Patrik Polivka, and game winner off the stick of Tim Traber.  They fell by 3-2 and 6-4 scores on the road Friday and Saturday.

There was a near line brawl at the end of Tuesday game with many misconducts and roughing minors. 114 minutes in penalties were called in total.

It was the clubs first post season victory since relocating to the Island.  The Bruins' last playoff victory was on March 30, 2011, when Kevin Sundher scored the overtime winner in a 4-3 victory over the host Spokane Chiefs.

It also was the first playoff victory for a home WHL team in Victoria since 1989, when the then Cougars - lost in eight games to the Blazers in a best-of-nine series.

The Royals scratched Tyler Stahl (Lower, day to day), Alex Gogolev (Lower, indefinite), Kolton Dixon, Brandon Fushimi, Luke Harrison (Upper, indifinite) and Ryan Gagnon (Upper).

Series Stats:

Goals: (10-8) Kamloops
Shots: (105-76) Kamloops
PP: Vic 3/15 (20%), Kam (4/17) 23.5%
Goals by Period: Vic (2, 2, 4) / Kam (3, 5, 2)
Pims / Game: Vic: 13.3 / Kam 12.0

Series Schedule:

Friday, March 22nd Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 3
Saturday, March 23rd Victoria 4 @ Kamloops 6
Tuesday, March 26th Kamloops 1 @ Victoria 2 (Bear Mountain Arena)
Thursday, March 28th Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 30th Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m.
Monday, April 1st Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 3rd Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)

Here Comes the Blue!  Tickets for Game 4, held at Bear Mountain Arena, are still available. With limited Round 1 seats available, Royals fans are encouraged to order tickets quickly by calling 250-220-7777, visiting www.selectyourtickets.com, or heading down to the Select Your Tickets box office.
Previous Meetings This Season Kamloops 1 @ Victoria 2 (Mar 26 2013) Final
Victoria 4 @ Kamloops 6 (Mar 23 2013) Final
Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 3 (Mar 22 2013) Final

How the 2 teams match up
Kamloops
Victoria
Team Record 2-1-0-0 -- 4 points 1-2-0-0 -- 2 points
Division Ranking 1st B.C. 2nd B.C.
Conference Ranking 2nd Western 7th Western
League Ranking 3rd 12th
Past 10 Games 2-1-0-0 1-2-0-0
Streak 0-1-0-0 1-0-0-0
Last Game 2-1 L @ Victoria (Mar 26 2013) Final 2-1 W vs Kamloops (Mar 26 2013) Final
Home Record 2-0-0-0 1-0-0-0
Away Record 0-1-0-0 0-2-0-0
GF 10 
GA 10 
PP (Overall) (4/17) 23.5 (3/15) 20.0
PP (Home) (3/11) 27.3 (0/7) 0.0
PP (Away) (1/6) 16.7 (3/8) 37.5
PK (Overall) (3/15) 80.0 (4/17) 76.5
PK (Home) (3/8) 62.5 (1/6) 83.3
PK (Away) (0/7) 100.0 (3/11) 72.7
Leading Rookie Lipon (0-0-0) Soy (1-0-1)
Most PIM Kessy - 6 Kanzig - 6
Team PIM/GM 12.0/Game 13.3/Game
Leading Scorers Lipon (3-4-7) Crooks (1-2-3)
Ranford (1-4-5) Hodges (2-0-2)
Smith (0-5-5) Carroll (1-1-2)
Edmundson (2-2-4) Walker (1-1-2)
Kessy (1-2-3) Cote (0-2-2)
Last 5 Games 2-1 L @ Victoria (Mar 26 2013) Final 2-1 W vs Kamloops (Mar 26 2013) Final
6-4 W vs Victoria (Mar 23 2013) Final 6-4 L @ Kamloops (Mar 23 2013) Final
3-2 W vs Victoria (Mar 22 2013) Final 3-2 L @ Kamloops (Mar 22 2013) Final
Leading After 1st 1-0-0-0 1-0-0-0
Leading After 2nd 1-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
Tied After 1st 1-0-0-0 0-1-0-0
Tied After 2nd 1-1-0-0 1-1-0-0
Trailing After 1st 0-1-0-0 0-1-0-0
Trailing After 2nd 0-0-0-0 0-1-0-0
Out Shooting Opponents 2-1-0-0 0-0-0-0
Out Shot by Opponents 0-0-0-0 1-2-0-0
1-Goal Games 1-1-0-0 1-1-0-0
2-Goal Games 1-0-0-0 0-1-0-0
3-Goal Games 0-0-0-0 0-0-0-0

Victoria Royals
# Player GP G A PTS PIM +/-
15 Jamie Crooks 3 1 2 3 12 1
11 Steven Hodges 3 2 0 2 12 -1
21 Austin Carroll 3 1 1 2 2 0
10 Ben Walker 3 1 1 2 0 -2
27 Brett Cote 3 0 2 2 4 1
19 Logan Nelson 3 0 2 2 4 -2
18 Brandon Magee 3 1 0 1 14 0
8 Tyler Soy 3 1 0 1 0 0
12 Tim Traber 3 1 0 1 2 0
22 Taylor Crunk 3 0 1 1 0 0
9 Mitch Deacon 3 0 1 1 4 0
4 Jordan Fransoo 3 0 1 1 14 -1
6 Isaac Schacher 3 0 1 1 0 3

# Player GP W L OTL SL MIN GA GAA SV%
33 Patrik Polivka 3 1 2 0 0 177:56 9 3.03 0.913

Kamloops Blazers
# Player GP G A PTS PIM +/-
34 JC Lipon 3 3 4 7 2 3
19 Brendan Ranford 3 1 4 5 10 2
9 Colin Smith 3 0 5 5 2 0
7 Joel Edmundson 3 2 2 4 10 3
22 Kale Kessy 3 1 2 3 16 0
15 Tim Bozon 3 2 0 2 14 0
21 Cole Ully 3 0 2 2 2 1
11 Dylan Willick 3 1 0 1 0 1
# Player GP W L OTL SL MIN GA GAA SV%
38 Cole Cheveldave 3 2 1 0 0 178:53 8 2.68 0.895

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Recap GAME 3: Kamloops 1 - Victoria 2

Tim Traber scored the game winning goal.

Patrik Polivka made 39 saves to backstop the Victoria Royals to a 2-1 victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers Tuesday night bringing the series to 2-1.

Polivka made 39 saves for his first post season win
“We can say we even got a little bit lucky tonight, but the important thing is for us is to start believing in each other and we’ll roll the dice again Thursday night.” –Enio Sacilotto, Royals Assistant Coach

In front of 2,395 at Bear Mountain Arena, Tim Traber scored the eventual game winner just :50 into the third to break a 1-1 tie.
Royals supporters
“I thought the atmsophere was electric.” Said Sacilotto on the near capacity crowd.  "I think all the sight lines are really good, being close to the action.  People can really see how fast these guys play and how fast the game is."

It was the clubs first post season win since relocating to the Island.

“It feels great, the firt victory for us here in Victoria, especially against this Kamloops team.”  Sacilotto said.


There was a near brawl at the end of the game with many misconducts and roughing minors handed out with 0.4 seconds left on the clock.  114 minutes in penalties were called in total.
Things got heated at the end...
"It was an intense series, things get heated at times it was exciting for the fans." according to Logan Fisher, Royals Forward, "We have a good chance, we're just going to keep pushing and playing our game."

Cole Cheveldave makes a save on Austin Carroll
Ben Walker openend the scoring in the first, with JC Lipon tying the game in the second on the power play.

With an assist on Walker’s goal, Jamie Crooks becomes the franchise leader in post season points with 13 (8g, 5a) in 18 games.

Victoria was 0 for 7 on the power play, while shutting down 5 of 6 Kamloops chances including a 5 on 3 for 1:35 in the third period.

More rough stuff with 0.4 seconds left
"...aside from giving up a power play goal, our penalty killing overall was really good on the night, it did a great job."  Sacilotto said.

Netminder Cole Cheveldave allowed 2 goals on 28 shots.  The Blazers outshot the Royals 17-7 in the second, and 40-28 overall.  Victoria did outshoot Kamloops 13-11 in the final frame.

Sacilotto felt Patrik Polivka was instrumental,

“Unbelievable, made some great stops…”

Forward Trent Lofthouse returned to the line up from injury after missing the last 25 games, only playing once in his last 30.



The Royals scratches included Tyler Stahl, Alex Gogolev, Kolton Dixon, Brandon Fushimi, Luke Harrison and Ryan Gagnon.

The Royals will look to even the series Thursday night. 

Series Schedule:

Friday, March 22nd Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 3
Saturday, March 23rd Victoria 4 @ Kamloops 6
Tuesday, March 26th Kamloops 1 @ Victoria 2 (Bear Mountain Arena)
Thursday, March 28th Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 30th Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m.
Monday, April 1st Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 3rd Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)

Here Comes the Blue!  Tickets for Game 4, held at Bear Mountain Arena, are still available. With limited Round 1 seats available, Royals fans are encouraged to order tickets quickly by calling 250-220-7777, visiting www.selectyourtickets.com, or heading down to the Select Your Tickets box office.
Battle for the puck
Logan Nelson with a rising shot, stopped by Cheveldave
The Royals win 2-1
Kamloops Blazers 1 at Victoria Royals 2 - Status: Final
Tuesday, March 26, 2013 - Bear Mountain Arena - Victoria, BC

Kamloops 0 1 0 - 1
Victoria 1 0 1 - 2

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Walker 1 (Nelson, Crooks), 18:23.

Penalties-Fransoo Vic (tripping), 5:56; Grist Kam (high sticking), 15:15.

2nd Period-
2, Kamloops, Lipon 3 (Smith, Ranford), 12:52 (PP).

Penalties-Smith Kam (hooking), 1:18; Kanzig Vic (delay of game), 8:33; Cote Vic (tripping), 10:55; Souto Kam (holding opp. stick), 13:02.

3rd Period-
3, Victoria, Traber 1 (Schacher, Crunk), 0:50.

Penalties-Ully Kam (interference), 2:29; Nelson Vic (interference), 4:46; Walker Vic (holding), 4:46; Bozon Kam (inter. on goaltender), 6:21; served by Soy Vic (too many men), 7:07; Souto Kam (hooking), 9:15; Bozon Kam (10-minute misconduct), 19:59; Edmundson Kam (10-minute misconduct), 19:59; Kessy Kam (roughing, roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 19:59; Lipon Kam (slashing), 19:59; Ranford Kam (10-minute misconduct), 19:59; Cote Vic (roughing), 19:59; Crooks Vic (10-minute misconduct), 19:59; Fransoo Vic (10-minute misconduct), 19:59; Hodges Vic (roughing, 10-minute misconduct), 19:59; Magee Vic (10-minute misconduct), 19:59.

Shots on Goal-
Kamloops 12-17-11-40.
Victoria 8-7-13-28.

Power Play Opportunities-
Kamloops 1 / 6;
Victoria 0 / 7.

Goalies-
Kamloops, Cheveldave 2-1-0-0 (28 shots-26 saves).
Victoria, Polivka 1-2-0-0 (40 shots-39 saves).

A-2,395
Referees-Chris Crich (20), Brett Montsion (54).
Linesmen-Riley Friesen (76), Nathan Van Oosten (115).

Monday 25 March 2013

Preview: Game 3 Kamloops at Victoria

The Victoria Royals return home down 2-0 to the Kamloops Blazers as the series shifts to Bear Mountain Arena for games 3 and 4 Tuesday and Thursday.

Pregame show at 6:40 on The Zone @ 91.3fm or online at www.thezone.fm

The Royals dropped 3-2 and 6-4 decisions against the Blazers Friday and Saturday, and will look for the clubs first playoff win since relocating to the Island.

Victoria almost completed a third period comeback Saturday, trailing 5-1 in third scoring three times to cut the lead to 5-4, but an empty net goal sealed it for Kamloops.

Royals forward Steven Hodges leads the team in goals with 2, and along with Austin Carroll (1g 1a), Jamie Crooks (1g 1a) and Brett Cote (2a) have 2 points each.

Saturday Victoria scratched Tyler Stahl (Lower, day to day), Trent Lofthouse (Upper, day to day) Alex Gogolev (Lower, indefinite), Kolton Dixon, Brandon Fushimi and Luke Harrison (Upper, indifinite). 

Defenseman Ryan Gagnon fell awkawdly into the boards Saturday, left the game and did not return.

Jamie Crooks goal set the franchise mark for most playoff goals with 8 passing Ryan Howse, while playing in his franchise setting 17th post season game.  He is now tied with Kevin Sundher for most playoff points.

Victoria’s power play has been more efficient than Kamloops in the two games combined, going (3/8) 37.5%, the Blazers (3/11) 27.3%.

Kamloops ranked 8th in the CHL, is lead by JC Lipon (2g 4a) with 6 points in the post season, defenseman Joel Edmundson (2g 3a) is next with 5 points.  The Blazers have outscored the Royals 9-6 in the first two games.  Kamloops was (20-13-1-2) on the road during the regular season.

Both Cole Cheveldave (GAA 3.00 / SAV% 0.875) and Patrik Polivka (GAA 4.07 / SAV% 0.875) have been in net for both games.

In game 1, the Royals had 88 games of playoff experience dressed, compared to 230 games for the Blazers.

With the Ford world men’s curling championship occupying the Save On Foods Memorial Centre, Games 3 and 4 on March 26 and 28 will be held at Bear Mountain Arena.  The rink seats 2300 plus standing room, compared to 7,006 at the SOFMC.

Series Schedule:

Friday, March 22nd Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 3
Saturday, March 23rd Victoria 4 @ Kamloops 6
Tuesday, March 26th Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m.
Thursday, March 28th Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 30th Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Monday, April 1st Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 3rd Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)

Here Comes the Blue!  Tickets for Games 3 and 4, held at Bear Mountain Arena, are still available. With limited Round 1 seats available, Royals fans are encouraged to order tickets quickly by calling 250-220-7777, visiting www.selectyourtickets.com, or heading down to the Select Your Tickets box office.
Previous Meetings This Season Victoria 4 @ Kamloops 6 (Mar 23 2013) Final
Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 3 (Mar 22 2013) Final

How the 2 teams match up
     
 
Kamloops
Victoria
Team Record 2-0-0-0 -- 4 points 0-2-0-0 -- 0 points
Division Ranking 1st B.C. 3rd B.C.
Conference Ranking 1st Western 8th Western
League Ranking 2nd 16th
Past 10 Games 2-0-0-0 0-2-0-0
Streak 2-0-0-0 0-2-0-0
Last Game 6-4 W vs Victoria (Mar 23 2013) Final 6-4 L @ Kamloops (Mar 23 2013) Final
Home Record 2-0-0-0 0-0-0-0
Away Record 0-0-0-0 0-2-0-0
GF
GA
PP (Overall) (3/11) 27.3 (3/8) 37.5
PP (Home) (3/11) 27.3 (0/0)
PP (Away) (0/0) (3/8) 37.5
PK (Overall) (3/8) 62.5 (3/11) 72.7
PK (Home) (3/8) 62.5 (0/0)
PK (Away) (0/0) (3/11) 72.7
Leading Rookie Chyzowski (0-0-0) Soy (1-0-1)
Most PIM Hansen - 4 Deacon - 4
Team PIM/GM 9.0/Game 12.0/Game
Leading Scorers Lipon (2-4-6) Hodges (2-0-2)
  Edmundson (2-3-5) Carroll (1-1-2)
  Ranford (1-3-4) Crooks (1-1-2)
  Smith (0-3-3) Cote (0-2-2)
  Bozon (2-0-2) Magee (1-0-1)
Last 5 Games 6-4 W vs Victoria (Mar 23 2013) Final 6-4 L @ Kamloops (Mar 23 2013) Final
  3-2 W vs Victoria (Mar 22 2013) Final 3-2 L @ Kamloops (Mar 22 2013) Final

Sunday 24 March 2013

Recap: GAME 2 Victoria 4 - Kamloops 6

Dylan Willick scored the insurance marker into an empty net to give the Kamloops Blazers a 6-4 victory over the visiting Victoria Royals Saturday night, taking a 2-0 series lead.

Austin Carroll scores
“Credit to our guys, we hung in there in the third period and made a game of it…” – Enio Sacilotto, Royals Assistant Coach

The series shifts back to the Island Tuesday and Thursday at Bear Mountain arena for games 3 and 4.

Trailing 2-0 after 20 minutes, the Royals cut the lead in half in the middle frame before the Blazers scored 3 goals in 4 minutes to give them a 5-1 lead going into the third.

Polivka makes a save on Kessey
“We didn’t get any breaks and we didn’t do ourselves any favours on keeping our composure and we lost it a bit when they scored a flurry of goals…”  Sacilotto said.

Mounting a comeback, the Royals scored 3 times in the final frame to cut the lead to 5-4, but fell short.

“It’s huge, gives us a ton of momentum going into the next game, hopefully we get a good start, keep pushing all game and play a full 60 minutes.” – F Taylor Crunk

Polivka stones Ranford in alone
Jamie Crooks and Austin Carroll had a goal and assist each, while Patrik Polivka made 23 saves.  His counterpart, Cole Cheveldave stopped 20 of 24.

Joel Edmundson was the games first star with 2 goals and an assist, JC Lipon had 4 assists to add to his 2 goals from game one for 6 points in the series.  Tim Bozon scored twice, Colin Smith had 2 helpers and Brendan Ranford a goal and assist.

#8 Tyler Soy
8th overall bantam selection in 2012, forward Tyler Soy scored his first WHL playoff goal, just his second marker of his career. 

“We almost had them in the third period…the game got away from us in the 2nd period with some penalty troubles and some unlucky bounces there way.  We really battled back in the end and almost got it.” – Tyler Soy Royals Forward

Brandon Magee rounded out the scoring for Victoria.

The Royals power play was 2 for 5, while stopping 4 of 5 Blazer opportunities.

Gagnon helped off the ice
Defenseman Ryan Gagnon fell awkwardly into the boards in the first period, and after laying motionless on his back, got up and skated off with the help of the trainers, but did not return.

“I saw him in the dressing room right afterwards, and he was walking, and talking and quite upset that he had put himself in that position and was out of the game, but hopefully he’ll be back soon.” – Cam Hope Royals GM

Fransoo and Kessey mix it up
Jamie Crooks goal set the franchise mark for most playoff goals with 8 passing Ryan Howse, while playing in his franchise setting 17th post season game.  He is now tied with Kevin Sundher for most playoff points.

Victoria scratched Tyler Stahl (Lower, day to day), Trent Lofthouse (Upper, day to day) Alex Gogolev (Lower, indefinite), Koton Dixon, Brandon Fushimi and Luke Harrison (Upper, indifinite).

Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarter-Finals is on Tuesday, March 26. Puck drop is set for 7:05 p.m. at Bear Mountain Arena.


Victoria Royals 4 at Kamloops Blazers 6 - Status: End of Game
Saturday, March 23, 2013 - Interior Savings Centre - Kamloops, BC

Victoria 0 1 3 - 4
Kamloops 2 3 1 - 6

1st Period-
1, Kamloops, Edmundson 1 (Ully, Lipon), 13:17.
2, Kamloops, Edmundson 2 (Lipon, Smith), 18:46 (PP).

Penalties-Traber Vic (roughing), 3:55; Bozon Kam (roughing), 3:55; Kanzig Vic (roughing), 17:43.

2nd Period-
3, Victoria, Crooks 1   11:49 (PP).
4, Kamloops, Bozon 1 (Edmundson, Kessy), 12:43.
5, Kamloops, Ranford 1 (Lipon), 13:40 (SH).
6, Kamloops, Bozon 2 (Smith), 16:43.

Penalties-Polivka Vic (goalie, ineligible p), 1:58; Kessy Kam (kneeing), 6:35; Hrbas Kam (tripping), 10:22; Grist Kam (roughing), 13:27; Nelson Vic (kneeing), 18:05.

3rd Period-
7, Victoria, Soy 1 (Carroll, Deacon), 7:44.
8, Victoria, Carroll 1 (Fransoo), 16:10 (PP).
9, Victoria, Magee 1 (Crooks, Cote), 18:16.
10, Kamloops, Willick 1 (Ranford, Lipon), 18:52 (EN).

Penalties-Hansen Kam (interference), 4:07; Magee Vic (charging), 8:55; Kanzig Vic (10-minute misconduct), 14:50; Souto Kam (inter. on goaltender), 14:50; Crooks Vic (slashing), 19:47.

Shots on Goal-
Victoria 6-10-8-24.
Kamloops 14-10-5-29.

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

Goalies-
Victoria, Polivka 0-1-0-0 (28 shots-23 saves).
Kamloops, Cheveldave 1-0-0-0 (24 shots-20 saves).

A-4,505
Referees-Tyler Adair (58), Devin Klein (9).
Linesmen-Tim Digby (75), Chris Sweeting (137).

Saturday 23 March 2013

Recap: GAME 1 Victoria 2 - Kamloops 3

Starting Lines
JC Lipon scored twice including the winner as the Kamloops Blazers win game 1 of the 2013 post season, 3-2 against the visiting Victoria Royals.

“We came here to win one game and were hoping it would be the first one…I thought all in all it was a great effort by the team tonight.” – Enio Sacilotto, Royals Assistant Coach

Steven Hodges also had a pair for the Royals, who got a 33 performance from netminder Patrik Polivka in his first game back after missing 7 with an injury. 
Hodges denied on a Short Handed Breakaway by Cheveldave

Sacilotto felt he witnessed one of Hodges best outings,

“He was outstanding, that was one of the strongest games I’ve see him play in the three years I’ve been with him…I expect for him to keep it up through the series.”

Polivka was excellent with 33 saves
Blazer netminder Cole Cheveldave made several point blank saves in the third to preserve the lead, a total of 22 on the night.

“We had a big effort, we worked hard all night long…in the third we had some quality chances and we didn’t get rewarded.”  Sacilotto said.

Both clubs were 33% on the power play, Victoria 1 for 3, and Kamloops 2 for 6.

Sacilotto talked about what the club could improve on for the next game.
Royals Supporters

“We’ve got to be a little more disciplined, perhaps we took too many penalties, which didn’t help our situation…”

The game was tied at 1 after 20 minutes, and 2-2 heading into the third.   Both clubs responded quickly after being scored upon. 

Polivka
After Hodges opened the scoring, Kale Kessey tied it up :34 seconds later.  Kamloops took a 2-1 lead in the second courtesy of Lipon, but just 1:04 later, Hodges would would pull Victoria even.  Lipon had the lone tally in the third.  Both he and Hodges had short handed breakaways in the game, and both would miss.

Brendan Ranford and Joel Edmundson both chipped in with a pair of assists. 

Playing in their first WHL playoff games were F Tyler Soy, D Isaac Schacher, Jack Walker, F Logan Fisher, F Mitch Deacon, G Patrik Polivka, D Ryan Gagnon, and D Joe Hicketts. Their Captain Tyler Stahl was a late scratch.

“Everyone who played tonight…we got a total team effort…Unfortunately we didn’t get the reward, but we’ll be ready for (Saturday).”

The Royals will look for a split Saturday night before returning home on Tuesday, March 26 for Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarter-Finals. Puck drop on Tuesday is set for 7:05 p.m. at Bear Mountain Arena.

-Marlon Martens

Victoria Royals 2 at Kamloops Blazers 3 - Status: Final
Friday, March 22, 2013 - Interior Savings Centre - Kamloops, BC

Victoria 1 1 0 - 2
Kamloops 1 1 1 - 3

1st Period-
1, Victoria, Hodges 1 (Cote, Nelson), 12:25.
2, Kamloops, Kessy 1 (Smith, Edmundson), 12:59 (PP).

Penalties-Deacon Vic (high sticking), 12:39; Carroll Vic (interference), 17:20.

2nd Period-
3, Kamloops, Lipon 1 (Ranford, Edmundson), 17:44 (PP).
4, Victoria, Hodges 2 (Walker), 18:48 (PP).

Penalties-Fransoo Vic (slashing), 7:37; Kanzig Vic (delay of game), 9:31; Magee Vic (slashing), 17:10; Needham Kam (tripping), 18:05.

3rd Period-
5, Kamloops, Lipon 2 (Ully, Ranford), 4:37.

Penalties-Deacon Vic (slashing), 0:28; Needham Kam (slashing), 6:33; Hansen Kam (interference), 12:14.

Shots on Goal-
Victoria 4-9-11-24.
Kamloops 11-13-12-36.

Power Play Opportunities-
Victoria 1 / 3;
Kamloops 2 / 6.

Goalies-
Victoria, Polivka 0-1-0-0 (36 shots-33 saves).
Kamloops, Cheveldave 1-0-0-0 (24 shots-22 saves).

A-4,638
Referees-Jeff Ingram (82), Sean Raphael (28).
Linesmen-Ryan Dawson (134), Kris Hartley (81).

Monday 18 March 2013

Preview: GAME 1 Victoria at Kamloops

The 6th seed Victoria Royals (35-30-2-5, 77pts) kick off the 2013 post season on the road against the 3rd seed Kamloops Blazers (47-20-2-3, 99pts) Friday and Saturday night.

It’s a rematch of last years playoffs, as the Royals look to avenge a sweep at the hands of the Blazers.

Pregame show at 6:40 on The Zone @ 91.3 fm or online at www.thezone.fm/listen

Both clubs wrapped up the regular season on 2 game win streaks.  Victoria won a home and home against Everett while Kamloops won theirs against Prince George.

Victoria’s leading scorer Alex Gogolev had surgery recently to help repair a skate cut to his leg, and will very likely miss the remainder of the season.  Gogolev sat out the final 20 games but still led the club in assists (45) and points (65) in only 49 games.  The Royals went (6-11-1-2) in his absence.

According GM Cam Hope, “…unless we go very deep (into the playoffs) all the way into May, he’ll be lost for the rest of the season.”

The Royals are still without their captain Tyler Stahl (Lower, day to day), Trent Lofthouse (Upper, day to day), Luke Harrison (Upper, indefinite), and G Patrik Polivka (Lower, 1-2 wks).

“We’ll hopefully have Patrik Polivka back, hopefully have Tyler Stahl back and Trent Lofthouse soon…”  Hope said.

The Royals set franchise bests in wins (35) and points (77).  The club also set the franchise record for consecutive victories this season with 7 in a row, part of a 12 win in 15 game stretch.

Victoria had a franchise best 11 come from behind victories when trailing after 40 minutes, and never lost in regulation when leading after 40 minutes (20-0-0-2).

The Blazers are (6-4) over their past 10, while the Royals are (3-5-1-1).

The Royals split the season series at 4 games a piece, winning 3 of the last 4.  Most recently a 6-0 loss on the road March 5th after winning 3 straight in one week back in January.

The Blazers have outscored the Royals 32-22 in the 8 game season series, including two shut outs. 

Victoria’s power play went 10/42 (23.8%), Kamloops was 8/38 (21.05%).  Overall the Royals power play ranked 8th best (21.3%), the Blazers were 6th (21.4%).

The Royals allowed 73 fewer goals this season, while scoring the 11th most goals for per game.  The Blazers scored the 7th most, while allowing the 4th fewest against overall.

Kamloops finished with the same record as last season, and scored 29 fewer goals this time and cut their goals-against by 31.

Victoria has the most penalty minutes on average per game in the league with 23.81, Kamloops the 6th most.  However, over their final 6 games the Royals took just 48, averaging just 8 minutes per game.

The Blazers are led in scoring by F Colin Smith, with goals (41) and points (106).  He ties Brendan Ranford in assists with (65).  Smith was the only player to play in all 72 games, while the Royals iron men are Brandon Magee and Brett Cote.

With the injured Gogolev, Brandon Magee is Victoria’s active leading scorer with 60 points and 30 goals.  Jamie Crooks is next with 53 points and team leading 33 goals.  Followed by Ben Walker (52 pts) and Steven Hodges (51).

Kamloops G Cole Cheveldave finished fifth in GAA (2.38) and 13th in save percentage (.908) while winning 36 games (3rd most).  Victoria G Patrik Polivka has 28 wins and a 3.24 GAA.

With the Ford world men’s curling championship occupying the Save On Foods Memorial Centre, Games 3 and 4 on March 26 and 28 will be held at Bear Mountain Arena.  The rink seats 2,300 compared to 7,006 at the SOFMC.  The boards are seamless Plexiglas and are NHL caliber… literally! They were bought from the Florida Panthers, who used the boards and glass for only one season before putting them on the market. The score clock, purchased from the demolished Victoria Memorial Arena, brings with it a history of 50 years of hockey, skating, and lacrosse in Victoria.

Series Schedule:

Friday, March 22nd Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 23rd Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, March 26th Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m.
Thursday, March 28th Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, March 30th Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)
Monday, April 1st Kamloops @ Victoria (Bear Mountain Arena) 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)
Wednesday, April 3rd Victoria @ Kamloops 7:00 p.m. (if necessary)

With limited Round 1 seats available, Royals fans are encouraged to order tickets quickly by calling 250-220-7777, visiting www.selectyourtickets.com, or heading down to the Select Your Tickets box office.
Previous Meetings This Season Victoria 0 @ Kamloops 6 (Mar 5 2013) Final
Victoria 5 @ Kamloops 4 (Jan 19 2013) Final
Kamloops 2 @ Victoria 3 (Jan 16 2013) Final SO
Kamloops 4 @ Victoria 6 (Jan 15 2013) Final
Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 5 (Oct 27 2012) Final
Victoria 2 @ Kamloops 5 (Oct 10 2012) Final
Kamloops 3 @ Victoria 0 (Sep 30 2012) Final
Kamloops 3 @ Victoria 4 (Sep 28 2012) Final SO
Victoria Royals

# Player GP G A PTS PIM +/-
17 Alex Gogolev 7 3 9 12 6 -1
18 Brandon Magee 8 3 4 7 35 -3
11 Steven Hodges 6 5 1 6 2 -2
27 Brett Cote 8 2 3 5 4 -3
19 Logan Nelson 5 1 4 5 2 1
21 Austin Carroll 8 1 3 4 25 -9

# Player GP W L OTL SL MIN GA GAA SV%
1 X Jared Rathjen 1 0 1 0 0 60:00 3 3.00 0.923
33 Patrik Polivka 7 4 3 0 0 390:00 26 4.00 0.869
35 Coleman Vollrath 2 0 0 0 0 40:00 3 4.50 0.833

Kamloops Blazers
# Player GP G A PTS PIM +/-
15 Tim Bozon 7 4 7 11 2 5
9 Colin Smith 8 6 4 10 14 5
21 Cole Ully 8 6 4 10 4 8
14 Matt Needham 7 5 4 9 6 8
34 JC Lipon 8 2 6 8 18 1
22 Kale Kessy (total) 6 3 3 6 32 7
KAM 4 2 3 5 32 3
VAN 2 1 0 1 12 4
19 Brendan Ranford 6 1 5 6 4 2

# Player GP W L OTL SL MIN GA GAA SV%
38 Cole Cheveldave 6 4 2 0 0 315:48 11 2.09 0.908
41 Taran Kozun 3 0 0 0 2 173:01 9 3.12 0.888
How the 2 teams match up
Kamloops
Victoria
Team Record 47-20-2-3 -- 99 points 35-30-2-5 -- 77 points
Division Ranking 2nd B.C. 3rd B.C.
Conference Ranking 3rd Western 6th Western
League Ranking 5th 12th
Past 10 Games 6-4-0-0 3-5-1-1
Streak 2-0-0-0 2-0-0-0
Last Game 7-0 W @ Prince George (Mar 16 2013) Final 4-3 W @ Everett (Mar 16 2013) Final OT
Home Record 27-7-1-1 21-11-2-2
Away Record 20-13-1-2 14-19-0-3
GF 261  223 
GA 180  252 
PP (Overall) (71/332) 21.4 (71/334) 21.3
PP (Home) (42/178) 23.6 (36/167) 21.6
PP (Away) (29/154) 18.8 (35/167) 21.0
PK (Overall) (53/320) 83.4 (68/321) 78.8
PK (Home) (21/147) 85.7 (31/145) 78.6
PK (Away) (32/173) 81.5 (37/176) 79.0
Leading Rookie Thomson (2-12-14) Hicketts (6-18-24)
Most PIM Edmundson - 141 Kanzig - 159
Team PIM/GM 16.4/Game 18.4/Game
Leading Scorers Smith (41-65-106) Gogolev (20-45-65)
Bozon (36-55-91) Magee (30-30-60)
Lipon (36-53-89) Crooks (33-20-53)
Ranford (22-65-87) Walker (19-33-52)
Ully (22-28-50) Hodges (28-23-51)
Last 5 Games 7-0 W @ Prince George (Mar 16 2013) Final 4-3 W @ Everett (Mar 16 2013) Final OT
5-2 W vs Prince George (Mar 15 2013) Final 4-1 W vs Everett (Mar 15 2013) Final
2-1 L @ Kelowna (Mar 9 2013) Final 4-1 L vs Portland (Mar 12 2013) Final
3-2 L vs Kelowna (Mar 8 2013) Final 5-2 L vs Portland (Mar 10 2013) Final
6-0 W vs Victoria (Mar 5 2013) Final 3-1 L @ Vancouver (Mar 9 2013) Final
Leading After 1st 25-4-0-2 16-6-1-1
Leading After 2nd 34-3-0-2 21-0-0-2
Tied After 1st 16-8-1-0 13-7-1-2
Tied After 2nd 7-4-1-0 3-2-2-2
Trailing After 1st 6-8-1-1 6-17-0-2
Trailing After 2nd 6-13-1-1 11-28-0-1
Out Shooting Opponents 39-11-2-2 13-8-0-2
Out Shot by Opponents 7-8-0-1 20-22-2-3
1-Goal Games 16-6-2-3 15-4-2-5
2-Goal Games 6-8-0-0 9-5-0-0
3-Goal Games 15-5-0-0 6-11-0-0


Sunday 17 March 2013

Awards Ceremony



ROYALS CAP OFF REGULAR SEASON WITH AWARDS CEREMONY
Alex Gogolev takes home 2012-13 National Bank Financial Most Valuable Player award.

Cliff Lesquene

For Immediate Release
Sunday, March 17, 2013

Victoria, BC –The 2012-13 Victoria Royals Awards Ceremony took place on Sunday afternoon at Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre.

Gogolev accepts an award on crutches
Cliff Lesquene, from 100.3 the Q, hosted the event that saw the organization hand out 10 awards in total and celebrate a record setting 2012-13 regular season.

Jordan Fransoo Top Defenseman
Alex Gogolev was chosen as the team’s most valuable player as he took home the National Bank Financial MVP Award. The Moscow, RU native also earned the Pemberton Homes Top Scorer award finishing the season with 65 points (20g-45a).

Jordan Fransoo was presented with the Wilson’s Transportation Top Defenceman award while Joe Hicketts was named the Ron Neal Rookie of the Year.

Logan Fisher and Joe Hicketts were named co-winners of the Fisgard Scholastic Player of the Year award. The Telus Community Service award was given to Tyler Stahl for the second consecutive year.
Cam Hope, Patrik Polivka - Unsung Hero

Logan Fisher was also awarded the 2 Burley Men Hardest Worker award while Patrik Polivka was named the Coca-Cola Unsung Hero. Tim Traber earned the Connect Hearing Most Dedicated trophy.


The Keg Fans’ Choice award, chosen by a vote on www.victoriaroyals.com, was presented to Brandon Magee.


 Here Comes the Blue! The Victoria Royals take on the Kamloops Blazers in Round 1 of the 2013 WHL Playoffs. Tickets for Games 3 and 4, held at Bear Mountain Arena, are on sale now. With limited Round 1 seats available, Royals fans are encouraged to order tickets quickly by calling 250-220-7777, visiting www.selectyourtickets.com, or heading down to the Select Your Tickets box office.

2012-13 Victoria Royals Awards Ceremony PHOTOS:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.503239893067276.1073741835.180623155328953&type=1

The Graduating players and Head Coach Dave Lowry
The Royals also paid tribute to the graduating players, Tyler Stahl, Jamie Crooks and Alex Gogolev.
Alex Gogolev shares a laugh



Tyler Stahl

Jamie Crooks

Joe Hicketts, Rookie of the Year


Scholastic Award Winners, Logan Nelson & Joe Hicketts