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Victoria Royals fall to Everett Silvertips in shootout

The Victoria Royals’ SeaTac Shuffle today, as the players disperse to their homes across North America for the Christmas break, was made a bit brighter as the visiting Royals salvaged a point Wednesday night in a 7-6 shootout loss to the Everett Silv
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Victoria Royals' Jack Walker, left, who scored the Royals only goal in the shootout Wednesday, in action against Everett in November.

 

The Victoria Royals’ SeaTac Shuffle today, as the players disperse to their homes across North America for the Christmas break, was made a bit brighter as the visiting Royals salvaged a point Wednesday night in a 7-6 shootout loss to the Everett Silvertips before 3,188 fans at Comcast Arena.

Victoria stayed .500 (17-17-3) as their three-game Western Hockey League losing skid morphed into a four-game winless streak.

The Royals completed the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule against the Silvertips (20-9-4), who are ranked No. 10 in the BMO Canadian Hockey League top-10 poll. The Royals return after the break to play Prince George on Dec. 27-28 at the Memorial Centre.

The Royals were missing three crucial players Wednesday. The mobile defenceman and co-captain Joe Hicketts is in the Canadian team camp for the 2015 world junior championships. Co-captain Brandon Magee is out two-to-three weeks with a hand injury and fellow-forward Greg Chase, under NHL contract to the Edmonton Oilers, sat out a one-game suspension for a spearing penalty the night before in a 5-4 loss in Seattle to the Thunderbirds.

“It was the shootout at the OK Corral,” said assistant Enio Sacilotto, now 0-3-1 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.

“This game was a crapshoot. But we came in against the odds with three of our best players out, and yet showed a lot of spirit and competitive drive. We’re struggling, but this could be a starting point for us as we take a much-needed week off.”

As in many of Victoria’s outings this season, the game went in waves, although these swings crashed with more ferocity than most.

The Silvertips built an early 2-0 lead before Victoria rallied to go ahead 3-2 on goals by Regan Nagy, Tyler Soy and Austin Carroll, the latter with his team-leading 22nd of the season.

But goals in the second period by Cole MacDonald and Patrick Bajkov allowed the Silvertips to retake the lead 4-3. That was followed by yet another flurry of three consecutive Victoria goals as Soy, defenceman Chaz Reddekopp, on a four-point night, and veteran forward Brandon Fushimi put the visitors ahead 6-4 in the third period before a pair of goals by Everett’s Kohl Baumi tied it 6-6.

Jack Walker got Victoria’s lone goal in the shootout while the Silvertips scored twice.

It wasn’t exactly a vintage night for the goaltenders as Coleman Vollrath made 27 saves in regulation and overtime for Victoria while Austin Lotz blocked just 14 for Everett.

ICE CHIPS: It appears the resolute Jayden Sittler, who began the season in the Alberta League, might have won the battle to back-up Vollrath. Sittler (with a WHL second-best 2.32 goals-against average in nine appearances) was acquired Oct. 23 when rookie Evan Smith (4.20 GAA in four games), the 17-year-old from Colorado, was injured. Smith is now healthy and has been sent to the NAHL’s Austin Bruins of Minnesota to get playing time.

cdheensaw@timescolonist.com