The Victoria Royals recorded their third come-from-behind third-period rally victory in their last four Western Hockey League games Friday night at the Langley Events Centre.
The Royals, trailing 2-1 entering the final frame, got goals from Robin Sapousek and Dawson Pasternak to defeat the Vancouver Giants 3-2. It was the ninth goal of the season for sophomore import-forward Sapousek, who won silver with Czechia in the 2023 world junior championship, and the fourth goal on the season for Pasternak on a two-point night. Victoria rookie Cole Reschny added two assists.
Victoria-product Ty Halaburda of the Giants scored against his hometown team to open scoring at 7:06 of the first period. Ben Riche’s sixth goal of the season tied it for the Royals at 3:00 of the second period. Colton Langkow regained the lead for Vancouver at 6:51 of the middle period. Braden Holt made 26 saves in goal for Victoria and Brett Mirwald 29 for Vancouver (3-6-1).
The Royals (7-6) have won seven of their last nine games and rebounded from having their previous four-game winning streak snapped Wednesday in a 6-3 loss to the Rockets in Kelowna.
The teams catch the ferry to meet again tonight at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The Giants’ are without their top player. Six-foot-four forward Samuel Honzek, the first-round NHL draft pick of the Calgary Flames who has twice represented his native Slovakia at the world junior hockey championships, is out six to eight weeks with an injury incurred in a Flames pre-season game.
