Robin Sapousek, who will almost certainly be on the Czech team at the 2024 world junior championship in Sweden after winning silver in the 2023 tournament, scored twice on a three-point night as the Victoria Royals defeated the Tri-City Americans 5-1 in a Western Hockey League game on Friday in eastern Washington state.
The lanky sophomore import moved his team-leading goal total to 12 on the season. Prize Royals rookie Cole Reschny extended his point streak to 14 games with a goal and assist and has 21 points, including six goals, in that stretch.
Ben Riche scored his ninth goal of the season for the Royals and Tanner Scott also his ninth, into an empty night, on a three-point night.
Ever since he took over the Victoria bench this month, head coach James Patrick has stressed offensive zone time and “not throwing away pucks and giving them [opposition] easy outs in their zone. It’s going to be a continuing process of protecting the puck and getting stronger on pucks.”
Patrick had to have been happy by what he saw in Tri-City as the Royals relentlessly pressed the Americans (12-8-2) to hush the crowd of 4,782 at the Toyota Centre in Kennewick.
Victoria held a 27-13 shots advantage after two periods and 35-20 overall.
Braden Holt took the win in goal for the Royals and Luka Matecha the loss for the Americans.
The Royals (13-9-2) are in Spokane Saturday night to play the Chiefs (8-10-2).
The Royals went 1-5 on the power play and the Americans 0-2.
The next home games for Victoria are Tuesday and Wednesday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre against the Kamloops Blazers (6-13-4), who beat the Vancouver Giants on Friday night but earlier in the day blew up the season by trading NHL second-round Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Fraser Minten to Saskatoon for the Blades’ first-round picks in the 2024 and 2025 WHL prospects drafts, a fourth-rounder in 2024 and hometown Kamloops forward Jordan Keller.
