Raiders open preseason with 6-3 triumph over Blades in Big River First Nation
September 6, 2022 – Western Hockey League (WHL) – Prince Albert Raiders News Release
The Prince Albert Raiders opened the 2022 WHL preseason with a 6-3 win against the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday afternoon at the grand opening of the Jim Neilson Sports Complex at Big River First Nation. The offensive charge was led by Ryder Ritchie, Zach Wilson, and Jesiah Bennett, who each picked up a pair of goals in the contest.
The offensive pace was set early into the first period, with the Raider opening the scoring just 1:06 into the contest. Bennett led a rush into the offensive zone, using his speed to cut around a Blades defender, cutting to the net and burying a shot past netminder Evan Gardner to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead.
Saskatoon responded with an equalizer from the stick of Fraser Leonard, who wired a shot from the left circle top corner past Max Hildebrand to make it a 1-1 score.
Less than a minute later, the Raiders regained their one goal lead. Ritchie found some open ice and beat Gardner for his first preseason tally. The 2021 first round pick put the home side back on top 2-1 with less than seven minutes to go in the opening frame.
However, Saskatoon tied things back up with just over a minute left in the first period, and it was Leonard who potted his second goal of the game. This time from the right circle, the 16-year-old defenceman picked the top corner again, beating a screened Hildebrand. The late goal sent both sides to the dressing room knotted up at 2-2 after 20 minutes, with the Raiders holding a healthy 11-3 edge in the shot department.
Two goals were scored in the second period, split between the two sides. Both markers came on man advantages. Wilson broke the 2-2 deadlock 8:23 into the middle frame, putting the Raiders up 3-2. However with 6:12 left in the second, Luke Hansen followed up with a powerplay goal of his own for Saskatoon. For the third time of the contest, the Blades tied the score, and it would remain that way through 40 minutes as both sides entered the third period even at 3-3. Similar to the first period, the Raiders continued to control in the shot department, leading 21-8.
Leaving behind the trend of back and forth action, the Raiders took firm grasp of the game in the third period, and the action started with Jesiah Bennet scoring his second goal of the game 4:27 into the final frame, putting PA up 4-3.. Two more Raiders, Ritchie and Wilson, also picked up their second goals of the game in the third, with Ritchie scoring with 11:21 left in regulation. Wilson followed up with his own second goal, and it was an incredible individual effort to put the Raiders up 6-3. Working down the right wing, Wilson made a fantastic inside-outside deke, pulling the puck one handed past a Blades defender and worked his way in on goal, making no mistake on the finish, putting the home squad up by a trio of goals.
As the clock neared the final few seconds of the game, fans in attendance rose to their feet and began counting down as the first win at the Jim Neilson Sports Complex was awarded to the Prince Albert Raiders, as 6-3 marked the final score. 28-14 was the final shot tally in favour of PA. Coming in to action in the second period, Cooper Anderson stood between the pipes for the Raiders, allowing just one goal in a period and a half of action for the win. Evan Gardner came out on the losing side for the Blades, turning aside 22 of 28 shots thrown his way.
Next up for Prince Albert is a home preseason game at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday night against the Regina Pats. Puck drop is 7pm.
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