The Regina Pats fell 6-3 to the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome, wrapping up their four-game Alberta road trip with a 1-2-1 record.
Calgary jumped out to an early lead in the opening period, scoring twice in a 2:38 span. Keaton Jundt opened the scoring at 7:04 before Jack Poole notched his first WHL goal at 9:42 to make it 2-0. The Pats answered back quickly, as Keets Fawcett scored his team-leading 23rd goal of the season at 11:11, finishing a net-front play after a rush through centre. Fawcett added an assist and a fight on the night, earning a Gordie Howe hat trick.
The Hitmen regained their two-goal cushion later in the first period when Kale Dach struck on the power play at 15:13, giving Calgary a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes.
Calgary added to its lead early in the second period with a power-play goal from Caine Wilke at 5:13. Regina continued to push back and capitalized on a five-on-three advantage midway through the frame, as Zach Lansard ripped home a power-play goal to cut the deficit to 4-2. The Hitmen responded again at 14:50 when Calder Hamilton buried a loose puck in front, but the Pats refused to fold the tent. Connor Bear scored against his former team late in the period at 17:57, pulling Regina within two heading into the third.
Playing their fourth game in five nights, the Pats showed no signs of quitting and delivered a strong third period, firing 21 shots on goal. However, they ran into one of the league’s top goaltenders in Eric Tu, who turned aside all 21 third-period shots to preserve the Calgary lead. An empty-net goal from Andrei Molgachev at 17:56 sealed the 6-3 victory for the Hitmen.
Despite the loss, Regina battled hard to the final horn and finished the road trip with points in two of four games before returning home.
FINAL: Calgary Hitmen 6, Regina Pats 3
THE GOALS
First Period
Hitmen 1-0 — #21 Keaton Jundt (8), assisted by #39 Luc Trevors & #19 Rylan Ng at 7:04 // The Hitmen were able to create an odd-man rush through centre, where Trevors fed Jundt the puck on the near side, and he fired it past the sprawling Marek Schlenker to open the scoring.
Hitmen 2-0 — #26 Jack Poole (1), assisted by #19 Rylan Ng & #39 Luc Trevors at 9:42 // It was another goal off the rush for Calgary, as Ng dragged the puck around a Pats defender and set up Poole backdoor for his first WHL marker.
Pats 2-1 — #10 Keets Fawcett (23), assisted by #21 Ellis Mieyette & #44 Matt Paranych at 11:11 // Fawcett started the rush through centre and fed Mieyette the puck on the left side. Mieyette busted in and sent the puck to the front, where it bounced off Fawcett and in.
Hitmen 3-1 — #22 Kale Dach (23), assisted by #7 Hunter Aura & #12 Wyatt Pisarczyk at 15:13 (PP) // Dach rifled the puck into the top corner over the shoulder of Marek Schlenker from the right circle on the power play to increase the lead.
Second Period
Hitmen 4-1 — #34 Caine Wilke (11), assisted by #8 Andrei Molgachev & #16 Ben MacBeath at 5:13 (PP) // Molgachev drove the puck on net from the blue line, which bounced out to the slot where Wilke quickly snapped it home to make it 4-1 with a power-play goal.
Pats 4-2 — #57 Zach Lansard (16), assisted by #44 Matt Paranych & #10 Keets Fawcett at 11:04 (PP) // With Regina on a five-on-three power play, Lansard dragged the puck around a defender to find time and space, ripping it into the top corner to make it a two-goal game.
Hitmen 5-2 — #4 Calder Hamilton (4), assisted by #8 Andrei Molgachev & #34 Caine Wilke at 14:50 // Molgachev took a shot from the high slot that was blocked, but Hamilton worked his way to the front of the net and found the loose puck to restore the three-goal lead.
Pats 5-3 — #20 Connor Bear (1), assisted by #27 Caden Brown at 17:57 // Brown skated over the line and feathered the puck to Bear in the left circle, where he quickly fired it into the far corner for his first of the season, coming against his former team.
Third Period
Hitmen 6-3 — #8 Andrei Molgachev (18), unassisted at 17:56 (EN) // Molgachev found a loose puck in the Calgary slot and scored from his own net, securing the victory with an empty net goal.
Shots on Goal
- Pats: 14 – 8 – 21 — 43
- Hitmen: 15 – 16 – 9 — 40
Power Plays
- Pats: 1/5
- Hitmen: 2/2
Goaltending
- Pats: Marek Schlenker — 34 saves on 39 shots
- Hitmen: Eric Tu — 39 saves on 42 shots
Three Stars
- First Star: #39 Luc Trevors (2A)
- Second Star: #10 Kets Fawcett (1G-1A)
- Third Star: #26 Jack Poole (1G)
COMING UP
The Regina Pats wrap up a stretch of five straight road games on Friday, December 30, at Swift Current. The Pats' next home game is Saturday, January 31, versus Moose Jaw. That will be the first of three straight home games for the Blue Brigade.
