Although the Regina Pats scored first on Friday night, the club dropped a 9-2 result on the road against the Prince Albert Raiders at the Art Hauser Centre in the first half of a home-and-home set this weekend.
A busy first period saw five goals scored in the opening 20 minutes. Pats’ Zach Moore got the game’s first goal, beating Raiders goaltender Dimitri Fortin and finishing off an effective passing play between Keets Fawcett and Zach Lansard on the power-play for his fourth goal of the season at 4:26. However, it was all Prince Albert after the opening goal, with the home team rallying for four consecutive goals from four separate goal scorers. Maddix McCagherty, Owen Corkish, Aiden Oiring (PP), and Brayden Dube each found the back of the net, beating Regina goaltender Matthew Hutchison. Additionally, Daxon Rudolph and Jonah Sivertson both notably picked up two first-period assists. At the same time, Ethan Bibeau, Bennett Kelly, Max Heise, and Riley Boychuk each added helpers in Prince Albert’s four-goal 10-minute swing for a commanding 4-1 lead after the first frame.
It was a quiet second period until the team traded goals under a minute apart with less than three minutes remaining. The Pats again struck first in the frame at 17:45, as Jace Egland picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone and capitalized on a partial breakaway with a crafty deke, beating Fortin while short-handed to cut the Raiders' lead in half briefly. However, on the ensuing man advantage, Prince Albert’s Sivertson, Boychuk, and Dube would connect on a goal for the second time Friday night, helping the Raiders regain their three-goal advantage before the end of the period at 18:41.
Just 3:55 into the final 20 minutes, Sivertson picked off the Pats in the neutral zone and broke in alone, faking a shot before tucking it home for his fourth point of the night to extend the lead to 6-2. That tally was the first of another four-goal period for Prince Albert, capped off with three goals in under two minutes shortly after Sivertson opened the scoring in the third. Max Heise, Justice Christensen, and Riley Boychuk all secured their first goals of the contest. At the same time, Brandon Gorzynski, Kelly, McCagherty, and Corkish all notched an assist in the third period scoring, solidifying a 9-2 final.
With the result, the Pats moved to 11-19-4-1 on the season. Pats’ Hutchison stopped 26 of 35 shots that he faced. At the other end, Raiders netminder Fortin turned aside 23 of 25 shots, with the final shots on goal being 33-25 in favour of Prince Albert. On special teams, the Pats went 1-for-3 on the power play, while the Raiders were 2-for-4.
Most notably, Egland scored his second short-handed goal of the season, both coming against the Raiders in Prince Albert.
FINAL: Prince Albert Raiders 9, Regina Pats 2
THE GOALS
First Period
Pats 1-0 —#18 Zach Moore (4), assisted by #57 Zach Lansard, & #10 Keets Fawcett at 4:26 (PP)
After entering the Raiders’ zone, Fawcett made a cross-ice pass to Lansard, who fed Moore for a one-timer in the slot. The 19-year-old managed to squeak the shot past Fortin and into the net on the power play at 4:26.
Raiders 1-1 —#17 Maddix McCagherty (11), assisted by #10 Daxon Rudolph, & #28 Jonah Sivertson at 6:06
Following a failed clearing attempt, Sivertson found a cutting Rudolph, who slid a pass to McCagherty in front for the finish, evening the score at 6:06.
Raiders 2-1 —#32 Owen Corkish (8), assisted by #27 Ethan Bibeau, & #6 Bennett Kelly at 7:22
Kelly kicked the puck loose to Bibeau, who drove toward the net before finding Corkish on a 2-on-1, and he made no mistake to give the Raiders their first lead at 7:22.
Raiders 3-1 —#19 Aiden Oiring (16), assisted by #14 Max Heise, & #10 Daxon Rudolph at 10:48 (PP)
Rudolph found Heise down low, and he set up Oiring for the deflection in front to complete the tic-tac-toe play at 10:48 on the man advantage.
Raiders 4-1 —#15 Brayden Dube (13), assisted by #23 Riley Boychuk, & #28 Jonah Sivertson at 16:44
From behind the net, Sivertson dished a pass to Boychuk. He made a no-look feed to Dube for the one-timer, beating Hutchison to make it 4-1 at 16:44.
Second Period
Pats 4-2 —#24 Jace Egland (5), unassisted at 17:45 (SHG)
Short-handed, Egland picked up the puck in the neutral zone before flying into the Raiders’ zone on a partial breakaway, beating Fortin on his forehand to cut the Raiders’ lead in half at 17:45.
Raiders 5-2 —#15 Brayden Dube (14), assisted by #23 Riley Boychuk, & #28 Jonah Sivertson at 18:41 (PP)
Sivertson dropped the puck off at the Pats’ blue line for Boychuk, who sent it to Dube, and he beat Hutchison five-hole at 18:41 on the power-play.
Third Period
Raiders 6-2 —#28 Jonah Sivertson (13), unassisted at 3:55
With a Pats neutral zone turnover, Sivertson stripped the puck and worked his way in alone, faking a shot before sliding it into the back of the net at 3:55.
Raiders 7-2 —#14 Max Heise (16), assisted by #29 Brandon Gorzynski, & #6 Benett Kelly at 9:19
Kelly threaded a pass through the neutral zone to Gorzynski, who entered the Pats’ zone. The 18-year-old found a driving Heise who buried his first of the game blocker side at 9:19.
Raiders 8-2 —#10 Justice Christensen (14), assisted by #17 Maddix McCagherty, & #32 Owen Corkish at 10:38
Corkish shuffled a pass to McCagherty and poked it to Christensen, who walked in and fired a shot past Hutchison at 10:38 to make it 8-2 for the Raiders.
Raiders 9-2 —#23 Riley Boychuk (8), unassisted at 11:01
Boychuk picked off a Pats breakout pass and maneuvered his way to the net before beating Hutchison one-on-one at 11:01.
Shots on Goal
- Pats: 9 – 8 – 8 — 25
- Raiders: 14 – 5 – 16— 35
Power Plays
- Pats: 1/3
- Raiders: 2/4
Goaltending
- Pats: Matthew Hutchison — 26 saves on 35 shots
- Raiders: Dimitri Fortin — 23 saves on 25 shots
Three Stars
- First Star: #28 Jonah Sivertson (1G, 3A)
- Second Star: #23 Riley Boychuk (1G, 2A)
- Third Star: #15 Brayden Dube (2G)
COMING UP
The Pats conclude their home-and-home weekend with the Raiders on Saturday, January 3, at 6:00 p.m. for Hawaiian Night at the Brandt Centre. Regina will then resume game action on Friday, January 9, at 7:00 p.m. for the club’s Community Heroes Night against the Red Deer Rebels.
