Royals Drop Friday Night Game with 4-1 Loss to Giants
October 1, 2022 – Western Hockey League (WHL) – Victoria Royals News Release
Victoria Royals’ Anthony Wilson on game day
(Victoria Royals)
Langley, B.C. – Slovakia-born forward Samuel Honzek recorded three points on a pair of assists and the game-winning goal to lead the Vancouver Giants over the Victoria Royals 4-1 at the Langley Events Centre on Friday.
Forward Kyren Gronick and defenceman Mazden Leslie also had big performances for Vancouver (1-1-0-1), both collecting two points on a goal and an assist.
Forward Anthony Wilson would score the lone goal for Victoria (0-3-0-0) in the loss, his first of the 2022-2023 season.
“Our first period was excellent for the most part, but our discipline lapsed,” said General Manager and Head Coach, Dan Price. “Discipline must be a trademark of our team this year, so we will fix that. In the second period we did deviate from our structure somewhat, so we will address that and make sure we stay more connected to support the puck. In the third period we rebounded but Vancouver did a very good job getting to our net. That is the third time in a row that has happened, so I believe our players will take that very personally and rectify that on Sunday.”
Giants goaltender Jesper Vikman recorded 15 saves on 16 shots in his first start of the season, while counterpart Campbell Arnold made 25 of 29 stops in the defeat.
Vancouver would set the tone early on Friday, with forward Ty Halaburda (1) striking 11:21 of the first to give the Giants a 1-0 lead.
However, the Royals would soon respond with a goal of their own by forward Anthony Wilson (1) – who returned to the lineup Friday after serving a one game suspension – at 13:58 of the first to even the game at 1-1 heading into the second.
Teammate Carter Dereniwsky would count the assist on the goal. He now leads the team with four total points on the season.
Vancouver’s Samuel Honzek would count the only goal for either side in the middle frame, scoring the first of his WHL career at 14:40 to give the Giants a 2-1 lead going into the third period.
A goal by forward Kyren Gronick (1) at 14:15 of the third would be followed up by a marker by defenceman Mazden Leslie (2) at 15:43 to make it 4-1, where it would stand at the final horn.
The Giants will be back on the ice Saturday night as they cross the border for a matchup against the Seattle Thunderbirds at the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent, WA.
Meanwhile, the Royals will wait until Sunday for their next game against the Everett Silvertips at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett.
Puck drop for that game is set for 4:05 pm on Sunday, October 2nd.
The next set of home games for the Royals will take place on October 11 and 12 against the Kelowna Rockets. Tickets are available at selectyourtickets.com.
Follow the Royals on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, TikTok and visit victoriaroyals.com to find out more about ticket sales and to learn the latest news about the team.
Season Tickets Are On Sale Now
Season Ticket packages for the 2022-2023 season are on sale now. Benefits include access to our flexible “Never Wasted Ticket” exchange policy, first opportunity on giveaway items, choice of best seats, and much more! Call our ticket office at 250-220-7889 or send an email to [email protected] for more info or to set up an appointment to view availability.
Images from this story
• Discuss this story on the Western Hockey League message board…
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
