CdnSailor
09-01-2011, 08:55 AM
, BC - The Victoria Royals and their fans got a look at the Western Hockey League club's future in the first annual Black vs. White Intra-Squad Game at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Wednesday night. Team Black started 17-year-old Jared Rathjen in goal, while Team White countered with 16-year-old Coleman Vollrath.
Vollrath dealt with early pressure from Team Black after a pair of golden scoring chances in the opening 90 seconds. Vollrath, who was a third round pick of the Chilliwack Bruins in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, came up with a glove save off a slot area shot just 21 seconds into the game. The Calgary, AB, product then stopped forward Michael Hall in close, after Hall barged wide on the right wing. At the other end, Rathjen's first tough test came at the 11-minute mark of the opening period. Team White forward Brandon Fushimi busted through a pair of Team Black defenders for a partial breakaway, but just failed to slide the puck through Rathjen's legs. Team White broke the scoreless tie on the power play at 18:30 mark. Forward Corey Renwick took a pass from forward Adam Osczevski at the blocker side of Rathjen and tapped the puck home for a 1-0 lead. Defenceman Jordan Rooke also earned an assist on the goal on the lone tally of the first frame. Team Black out-shot Team White 10-8 in the opening 20 minutes.
Each team switched goaltenders to start period number two, with Adam Iwan taking over between the pipes for Team Black and Connor Lacouvee for Team White. It was a tough start for Lacouvee just 10 seconds into the middle frame as forward Taylor Crunk swept down the left wing for Team Black and snuck a shot inside the blocker side goal post to knot the game at 1-1. Crunk was a ninth round bantam pick for the Bruins in the 2010 WHL Draft. Lacouvee settled in following the early goal, coming up with key back-to-back stops three minutes into the period off forward Austin Carroll and Crunk. Team White would get the lead back on a highlight reel goal from Parksville, BC, product Kade Pilton. The 6'4", 191 pound defenceman, a second round pick of the Bruins in the 2009 WHL Draft, stole the puck at his own blue line and rushed through the Team Black defenders, before depositing a shot under the cross bar over the right arm of Iwan. The unassisted goal came at 4:36. Team White then increased its lead to two following a two-on-one rush that forward Matt Bissett started. Bissett skated down the right wing and let a wrist shot go that bounced off the right pad of Iwan. The rebound was left for forward Michael Bell to drive home at 13:45, making it 3-1 Team White. Bell was the Royals' second pick during the 2011 Bantam Draft, taken in the third round. Osczevski collected his second assist of the night on the goal. It stayed 3-1 Team White through 40 minutes, with Team Black again getting the edge in shots in the period; 13-7 and 23-15 after two periods.
Jesse Jenks took over in goal for Team Black to start the third period and Michael Herringer got the call for Team White in net. Both teams hit the score sheet before the two minute mark of the period. Forward Ross Heidt banged home a rebound for Team White at 1:16 to increase their lead to 4-1. Forwards Zane Jones and Sean Davies picked up helpers. Team Black bounced back at 1:50, with Zachary Riauka cutting the lead in half to 4-2, with defenceman Cole Jones earning the lone assist. At 13:22, the same trio of players who combined to make it 3-1 Team White in the second period got together for the team's fifth goal of the night. Bissett took a centering pass from Bell, who was parked to the left of Jenks behind the goal line, and then sent a high wrist-shot over Jenks' right arm for a 5-2 Team White lead. Osczevski picked up his third assist of the game. Crunk cut the lead to 5-3 with a dazzling dash down the left wing where he beat a defenceman one-on-one before placing a back-hand shot through Herringer's legs for his second goal of the night. Jones picked up his second assist of the period on the goal at 15:01. Team White had a late power play and nearly picked up another goal when Fushimi broke in from the left wing side, but was stopped by the right pad of Jenks in the final minute. Team White 5 Team Black 3.
Team White went 1-for-2, 50%, on the power play, while Team Black was 0-for-6, 0.0%, on the man-advantage, including a 5-on-3 power play in the first period. Team White out-shot Team Black 15-11 in the third period, but Team Black held the edge in the game, 34-30. The attendance for the Black vs. White Intra-Squad game was 1,756.
The Royals will kick off exhibition play this weekend on the road when they face the Kamloops Blazers Friday night, followed by the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday. The Royals' lone pre-season game at home will be on Friday, September 16, when they host the Rockets starting at 7:05pm at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
Vollrath dealt with early pressure from Team Black after a pair of golden scoring chances in the opening 90 seconds. Vollrath, who was a third round pick of the Chilliwack Bruins in the 2010 WHL Bantam Draft, came up with a glove save off a slot area shot just 21 seconds into the game. The Calgary, AB, product then stopped forward Michael Hall in close, after Hall barged wide on the right wing. At the other end, Rathjen's first tough test came at the 11-minute mark of the opening period. Team White forward Brandon Fushimi busted through a pair of Team Black defenders for a partial breakaway, but just failed to slide the puck through Rathjen's legs. Team White broke the scoreless tie on the power play at 18:30 mark. Forward Corey Renwick took a pass from forward Adam Osczevski at the blocker side of Rathjen and tapped the puck home for a 1-0 lead. Defenceman Jordan Rooke also earned an assist on the goal on the lone tally of the first frame. Team Black out-shot Team White 10-8 in the opening 20 minutes.
Each team switched goaltenders to start period number two, with Adam Iwan taking over between the pipes for Team Black and Connor Lacouvee for Team White. It was a tough start for Lacouvee just 10 seconds into the middle frame as forward Taylor Crunk swept down the left wing for Team Black and snuck a shot inside the blocker side goal post to knot the game at 1-1. Crunk was a ninth round bantam pick for the Bruins in the 2010 WHL Draft. Lacouvee settled in following the early goal, coming up with key back-to-back stops three minutes into the period off forward Austin Carroll and Crunk. Team White would get the lead back on a highlight reel goal from Parksville, BC, product Kade Pilton. The 6'4", 191 pound defenceman, a second round pick of the Bruins in the 2009 WHL Draft, stole the puck at his own blue line and rushed through the Team Black defenders, before depositing a shot under the cross bar over the right arm of Iwan. The unassisted goal came at 4:36. Team White then increased its lead to two following a two-on-one rush that forward Matt Bissett started. Bissett skated down the right wing and let a wrist shot go that bounced off the right pad of Iwan. The rebound was left for forward Michael Bell to drive home at 13:45, making it 3-1 Team White. Bell was the Royals' second pick during the 2011 Bantam Draft, taken in the third round. Osczevski collected his second assist of the night on the goal. It stayed 3-1 Team White through 40 minutes, with Team Black again getting the edge in shots in the period; 13-7 and 23-15 after two periods.
Jesse Jenks took over in goal for Team Black to start the third period and Michael Herringer got the call for Team White in net. Both teams hit the score sheet before the two minute mark of the period. Forward Ross Heidt banged home a rebound for Team White at 1:16 to increase their lead to 4-1. Forwards Zane Jones and Sean Davies picked up helpers. Team Black bounced back at 1:50, with Zachary Riauka cutting the lead in half to 4-2, with defenceman Cole Jones earning the lone assist. At 13:22, the same trio of players who combined to make it 3-1 Team White in the second period got together for the team's fifth goal of the night. Bissett took a centering pass from Bell, who was parked to the left of Jenks behind the goal line, and then sent a high wrist-shot over Jenks' right arm for a 5-2 Team White lead. Osczevski picked up his third assist of the game. Crunk cut the lead to 5-3 with a dazzling dash down the left wing where he beat a defenceman one-on-one before placing a back-hand shot through Herringer's legs for his second goal of the night. Jones picked up his second assist of the period on the goal at 15:01. Team White had a late power play and nearly picked up another goal when Fushimi broke in from the left wing side, but was stopped by the right pad of Jenks in the final minute. Team White 5 Team Black 3.
Team White went 1-for-2, 50%, on the power play, while Team Black was 0-for-6, 0.0%, on the man-advantage, including a 5-on-3 power play in the first period. Team White out-shot Team Black 15-11 in the third period, but Team Black held the edge in the game, 34-30. The attendance for the Black vs. White Intra-Squad game was 1,756.
The Royals will kick off exhibition play this weekend on the road when they face the Kamloops Blazers Friday night, followed by the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday. The Royals' lone pre-season game at home will be on Friday, September 16, when they host the Rockets starting at 7:05pm at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.