Recap: CGY 2 - VIC 7

Austin Carroll celebrates the Hat Trick in a 7-2 win over Calgary (Top Photo Credit: Larry Quigley)

Austin Carroll scored a hat trick, as the Victoria Royals (35-16-0-3, 73pts) beat the visiting Calgary Hitmen 7-2 Tuesday night in the first of a two game set.

The Royals overcame a 2-1 second period deficit by scoring 6 unanswered, while outshooting the Hitmen 46-26, earning back to back wins.

Nelson on a breakaway

The club tied the franchise record with 35 wins in a season, set a year ago.  Victoria now has point in 6 straight games and remain 3 points ahead of Seattle for 3rd in the West.

Trailing 2-1 late in the second period, Austin Carroll and Logan Nelson scored :51 seconds apart, the later with just :23 seconds to go in the middle frame to take a 3-2 lead to the third.

Victoria added four more, chased Chris Driedger from the nets after the 6th goal for their 19th home win of the year.  The club had 21 victories at the SOFMC last season.

Kanzig fought Rissling

The Royals had six players with multiple point games.  Steven Hodges, Tyler Soy and Jordan Fransoo each had a pair of assists, Logan Nelson and Axel Blomqvist a goal and assist each.

Braden Oleksyn scored his first WHL goal for the Royals, fittingly against his former club.  Logan Fisher rounded out the scoring for Victoria.

Royals netminder, Coleman Vollrath earned his 15th win kicking out 24 of 26 shots including three brilliant stops off Brady Brassart who beat him once in the first.  Chris Driedger stopped 33 of 39 while Mack Shields stopped 9 of 10 in relief in the third.

Oleksyn scored his 1st WHL goal vs his former team

Connor Rankin opened the scoring for the Hitmen (32-15-3-3, 70pts) who fall to an even .500 on the road (10-10-2-1) and have only 3 wins in 11 after a 7 game win streak (3-7-1-0).

Victoria went 1 for 6 with the man advantage and have a power play goal in 10 of their last 12 games.  Calgary went 1 for 2 after only scoring once on their previous 15 man advantages.

#11 Hodges had a pair of assists

Keegan Kanzig fought Jaynen Rissling in the second period, in a physical game with many hits.

The Royals wrap up their four game homestand (2-0-0-1) Wednesday night against the same Hitmen.

- Marlon Martens

Calgary Hitmen 2 at Victoria Royals 7 - Status: Final
Tuesday, February 4, 2014 - Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena - Victoria, BC

Calgary 2 0 0 - 2
Victoria 1 2 4 - 7

1st Period-
1, Calgary, Rankin 16 (Zipp, Lang), 12:17.
2, Victoria, Blomqvist 18 (Hodges, Fransoo), 16:35.
3, Calgary, Brassart 23 (Thomas, Helgesen), 19:31 (PP).

Penalties-Nelson Vic (charging), 18:18.

2nd Period-
4, Victoria, Carroll 23 (Nelson, Walker), 18:46.
5, Victoria, Nelson 17 (Blomqvist), 19:37.

Penalties-Rissling Cal (elbowing), 4:26; Hodges Vic (cross checking), 5:00; Virtanen Cal (hooking), 9:09; Rissling Cal (major-fighting), 11:29; Kanzig Vic (major-fighting), 11:29; Virtanen Cal (checking from behind), 13:37.

3rd Period-
6, Victoria, Carroll 24 (Hicketts, Hodges), 3:46.
7, Victoria, Oleksyn 1 (Soy, Walker), 5:19.
8, Victoria, Fisher 4 (Crunk, Fushimi), 8:11.
9, Victoria, Carroll 25 (Soy, Fransoo), 15:03 (PP).

Penalties-Rissling Cal (holding), 10:07; Brassart Cal (slashing), 14:32; Rankin Cal (high sticking), 18:27.

Shots on Goal-
Calgary 9-7-10-26.
Victoria 11-20-15-46.

Power Play Opportunities-
Calgary 1 / 2;
Victoria 1 / 6.

Goalies-
Calgary, Driedger 20-13-3-3 (39 shots-33 saves); Shields 12-2-0-0 (7 shots-6 saves). Victoria, Vollrath 15-5-0-1 (26 shots-24 saves).

A-4,031
Referees-Curtis Marouelli (86), Derek Zalaski (8).
Linesmen-Tim Digby (75), Ryan Gibbons (73).

Braden Oleksyn scores his first WHL goal vs his former team.  Credit: Larry Quigley