SEATTLE 5 VICTORIA 4
The pre-game storyline of Tuesday’s Western Hockey League contest in Kent, Washington, seemed more about who was missing, not who was playing. But the Seattle Thunderbirds and Victoria Royals more than showed up in a game of whiplash swings.
Seattle, which led 3-0 only to see Victoria rally for a 4-3 third-period lead, staged a late comeback for a 5-4 victory to halt a two-game losing streak and hand the reeling Royals (17-17-2) their third consecutive loss.
The notable absentees were defencemen Joe Hicketts of the Royals and Shea Theodore of the Thunderbirds, both at the Canadian team camp for the 2015 world junior championships, and the injured forward pair of Victoria co-captain Brandon Magee and 2015 first-round NHL draft prospect Mathew Barzal of the Thunderbirds.
But both teams had more than enough in reserve to entertain the 5,099 fans at ShoWare Center. Seattle (14-15-4) obviously had a little more.
“We competed hard and clawed back, but the game came down to some bounces at the end. It’s unfortunate, but that’s sports,” said Enio Sacilotto, now 0-3 as Royals bench boss in the eight-game absence of head coach Dave Lowry, who is away as assistant coach of the Canadian team preparing for the world juniors.
Victoria’s problematic penalty-kill, which had given up six goals in the two previous back-to-back losses against the Vancouver Giants, let in another two Tuesday in a second-period flurry to allow Seattle its 3-0 lead. But Travis Brown, with his blueliner Royals team high 13th goal, and Austin Carroll, with his Royals-best 21st of the season, pulled Victoria to within one. Counters eight seconds apart in the third period by Tyler Soy and Logan Fisher, the fastest two goals in franchise history, gave Victoria a 4-3 lead. Seattle’s Donovan Neuls, however, tied it at 16:15 and Ryan Gropp won it for the T-Birds at 17:27.
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Victoria forward Greg Chase had three assists but ended his night with a spearing major and game misconduct. Brown had two assists for a three-point game. Carroll’s goal gave him the team lead in scoring over the absent Hicketts. Coleman Vollrath was busy in making 40 saves in goal for Victoria while 20-year-old Taran Kozun blocked 22 shots for Seattle.
The Royals close out the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule tonight in Everett against the Silvertips (19-9-4), who are ranked No. 9 in the BMO Canadian Hockey League top-10 poll.
