KAMLOOPS 3 VICTORIA 2
The Victoria Royals began easing a few more veterans into the pre-season lineup Saturday, including goaltender Coleman Vollrath, but the result was much the same.
Defenceman Brady Gaudet beat Vollrath at 31 seconds of overtime to give the Kamloops Blazers a 3-2 Western Hockey League victory at Sun God Arena in Delta to keep the Royals (0-2-2) winless in four exhibition games.
“It was the first game action for me since April and it felt good just being in the net,” said Vollrath.
The veteran Vollrath is expected to be the starting goaltender for the Royals. Rookies Michael Herringer of Comox and Evan Smith of Colorado, who combined to play in the first three Royals exhibitions games last weekend, are battling to decide who will back him up.
“It’s a game to build off. The effort is there. We just need to clean up a couple of things, like turnovers,” said Vollrath, who made 28 saves. Returning forwards Tyler Soy and Taylor Crunk scored the Victoria goals.
“Everyone is playing hard and competing … we just haven’t got a ‘W’ yet,” said Crunk.
“We just have to find a way to get that lucky bounce.”
Results matter not at all in the pre-season, of course. But others things, such as learning the right playing habits, do matter.
“It’s just exhibition, but you always play to win,” said Crunk.
“You want to gain momentum heading into the regular season.”
After dressing as many as 12 rookies for the first three games of the pre-season last weekend, the Royals dressed eight Saturday. They were defenceman Ralph Jarratt, forwards Matthew Campese, Dante Hannoun, Regan Nagy, Matt Dykstra, Jared Dmytriw, Matthew Phillips and backup goaltender Herringer. The game featured Don Hay in his return to the Kamloops bench, from which he coached the Blazers to two Memorial Cup national major-junior championships in 1994 and 1995. Hay coached the Vancouver Giants of the WHL for the past 10 seasons.
The Royals continue their pre-season today against the Kelowna Rockets in Delta. Victoria plays its lone home exhibition game Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre against the Giants, now coached by former ECHL pro Victoria Salmon Kings head coach Troy Ward.
