Royals Ride to Southern Alberta for Pair of Games against Hurricanes, Hitmen
October 31, 2022 – Western Hockey League (WHL) – Victoria Royals News Release
Victoria Royals right wing Jake Poole
(Victoria Royals)
Victoria, B.C. – The Victoria Royals are set to resume their Eastern Conference road trip with a pair of contests against the Lethbridge Hurricanes and Calgary Hitmen on back-to-back nights beginning Tuesday.
Victoria (3-10-2-0) is riding high after a 4-3 overtime victory over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Saturday night.
Forward Jake Poole would play the hero in that game, scoring twice to lead a third period comeback to force overtime after the Royals entered the frame trailing 2-0. Poole would then complete the hat trick by scoring the game winner in overtime and hand Victoria its third win of the season.
It was the second hat trick in a week for the McAuley, MB product, who leads the team with 13 total points on eight goals and five assists this season.
Another big part of Saturday’s win was the play of goaltender Tyler Palmer, who stopped 30 of 33 shots faced in the contest on the way to earring third win of the year. The Fernie, BC native has made the majority of starts for the Royals in 2022, amassing a 3-7-2-0 record with a 3.82 goals against average (GAA) and a 0.889 save percentage (SV%).
The Royals will look to make it two wins in a row as they take on the Lethbridge Hurricanes (6-8-0-0, 7th East) in their first game of the week on Tuesday.
Forward Cole Shepard has been the top producer on offence for the Hurricanes, collecting nine points on six goals and three assists in 13 games this season. The West Vancouver, BC product will look to stay hot on Tuesday after posting four points over his last three games.
Harrison Meneghin and Jared Picklyk have split time between the posts for the Hurricanes this season, with the 19-year-old Picklyk making eight appearances to the 18-year-old Meneghin’s seven.
However, Meneghin has been the slightly better option in the crease for the team this season, posting a record of 3-3-0-0 with a 2.86 GAA and a 0.902 SV%, while Picklyk has amassed a 3-5-0-0 record to go along with a GAA of 3.71 and a 0.871 SV%.
While it is not yet clear who the ‘Canes will choose to start, both goaltenders provide solid options and will provide a significant challenge for the Royals on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s game will be a special night for Victoria, as they celebrate forward Tanner Scott’s 100th WHL game. The 18-year-old was a third round selection by the club in 2019 and has spent the past three seasons within the Royals organization.
The Royals will then board a bus bound for Calgary for their second game in as many nights against the Hitmen (6-4-1-1, 6th East), who have looked impressive through the first month of the 2022-2023 season.
Defenceman Grayden Siepmann has been the leader for Calgary on both ends of the ice, posting a team-high 13 points on four goals and nine assists while providing stout defence with a plus/minus of +9 on the other end.
Goaltending is another strong area for the Hitmen, with the 20-year-old Brayden Peters putting together an impressive over-age season, posting a 5-2-1-1 record, 2.20 GAA and 0.927 SV% over nine appearances. He was also named the WHL Goaltender of the Week after allowing a single goal over two games last week, both which ended in Calgary victories.
Backup netminder Ethan Buenaventura is another quality option if the Hitmen choose to rest Peters. The 18-year-old has earned a record of 1-2-0-0 with a 2.70 GAA and a 0.890 SV% over three games this season.
The Royals are scheduled to face the Hurricanes at the Enmax Centre in Lethbridge, AB at 6 pm PDT on Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Victoria’s game against the Hitmen is also set to begin at 6 pm PDT on the following night, Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Tsuut’ina Seven Chiefs Sportsplex in Calgary, AB.
Impact players to watch:
Victoria:
#29 Teague Patton (F) – 15 GP, 12 PTS (4 G, 8 A)
#8 Kalem Parker (D) – 15 GP, 9 PTS (9 A)
#9 Tanner Scott (F) – 15 GP, 8 PTS (3 G, 5 A)
Lethbridge:
#17 Jett Jones (F) – 14 GP, 8 PTS (6 G, 2 A)
#28 Tyson Laventure (F) – 14 GP, 8 PTS (1 G, 7 A)
Calgary:
#21 Riley Fiddler-Schultz (F) – 10 GP, 12 PTS (7 G, 5 A)
#19 Sean Tschigerl (F) – 10 GP, 11 PTS (2 G, 9 A)
The next set of Royals home games will be on Nov. 11 and 12 against the Portland Winterhawks. Tickets can be purchased 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.
Get Your Ticket Packs Now
Multiple ticket packages are available for purchase, including a Family Pack, Prospect Pack, VictoriaNow Family Section and Molson Ice Seats. Call our ticket office at 250-220-7889, send an email to [email protected] or visit our website to learn more victoriaroyals.com/ticket-promos.
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.
