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pontcanna
10-05-2011, 11:23 PM
Royals roarin' to go again

By Mario Annicchiarico, timescolonist.com October 5, 2011 10:09 PM

Back home in the friendly confines of Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre, the Victoria Royals will attempt to use the backing of their vocal fans in a two-game Western Hockey League set against the Medicine Hat Tigers.

Marc Habscheid’s troops hope to cook up a couple of wins tonight and Friday and build off a pair of road victories last weekend in Prince George.

“It was exciting,” Royals forward and leading point getter Kevin Sundher said of the one and only home game Victoria has experienced to date. “It was an unbelievable experience that I think the fans really enjoyed. We played hard and we’re really looking forward to this week. Especially coming from a place like P.G. where there were only a couple of thousand fans.

“We’re not totally satisfied with how last weekend went, either,” added Sundher, referring to defensive lapses in which the Royals surrendered too many shots. “We did get two wins, but there’s a lot to improve on.”

The Tigers start a five-game journey that also sees them visiting Vancouver on Saturday, then Kamloops and Kelowna on Monday and Wednesday.

“You always try to look for chances to bond early in the year,” said Tigers’ head coach Shaun Clouston. “There’s good energy here and the guys are looking forward to it. It’s a good break from the routine of rink and school.”

Medicine Hat — 2-2 to start the season — has received a solid start from Emerson Etem, the first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in 2010, who has tallied five times in three games.

“They’re going to want to start off right, no question,” said Habscheid. “With us coming off the road, I think it’s important for our guys to feed off the energy from our group and stay within the system. You don’t want to be running around. You want to use that energy that the home building gives you, but there has to be a method to your madness as well.”

Controlling Etem will go a long way toward that.

“The guys obviously have good memories from the first home game,” said Habscheid. “We’ve played five games, four on the road, so it’s always more fun — especially in junior hockey — to be back at home. But we’re playing against a good, quick team with a great transition, and Etem is a word-class player.”

The Royals will also do it without Tyler Stahl, out with a concussion, and Brandon Magee (lower body injury).

“I think we’re going to be just as ready to jump on them as they are on us,” offered Sundher, who has two goals and six assists in five games. “They’re a good team, but we’re happy. We have a young team that’s ready to learn.

“Those road trips are always a battle. It was good to get a couple of wins because it doesn’t come easy on the road,” added Sundher. We’re happy to be back here, to practise hard and take advantage of a big weekend.”

Theriau returns

Like Neil Manning before him, Alex Theriau ventures back to Vancouver Island for a WHL visit.

The Duncan native travels back as a key member of the Tigers, anchoring the Central Division team’s blue-line, much like Manning does for the Vancouver Giants, the Royals’ opponent here two weekends ago.

“He’s been very good for us,” Tigers’ head coach Shaun Clouston said of Theriau, a fourth-round draft pick of the Dallas Stars in 2010. “He’s steady, reliable and distributes the puck well.”

And he is tied for the team lead in plus-minus at plus-4.