Ladner, BC - The Victoria Royals traveled to Ladner, BC to take on their BC Division rival the Vancouver Giants. The game began 30 minutes late; a cancelled ferry was the cause. The Royals started Braden Gamble in net and the Giants turned to Jackson Whistle.
The first period was a spirited affair that saw Victoria control the action for the opening moments. Whistle was tested several times, but held the Royals' scorers at bay. This swung the momentum in favour of the Giants who would capitalize while on the power play. Defenceman Tyler Hart would notch the first goal of the game at the 8:41 mark. Vancouver would extend the lead to 2-0 after forward Dalton Sward found the back of the net with 7:00 minutes remaining in the period. That would be the score at the end of the first period.

Victoria cut into the Giants' lead at 6:17 of the second period. Austin Carroll scored his first of the preseason with the assists going to Hayden Rintoul and goaltender Braden Gamble. The island team would square the affair at 2-2 when Rintoul scored an unassisted goal at the 13:05 mark. The Royals would grab their first lead of the game after Steven Hodges beat Whistle for the goal. Kade Pilton grabbed the lone assist on the Hodges goal at 16:51. That lead was short lived when Hart would knot it up at 3-3 just 78 seconds later. The teams would head to the locker rooms tied 3-3 after 40 minutes.

The Royals peppered Whistle in the third period, but were unable to get any of their 15 shots behind him. Gamble stopped the seven shots that Vancouver put up in the frame. The game would head to overtime.

In the extra session Victoria would take advantage on the power play. With the Giants' Austin Vetterl in the box for holding, Jamie Crooks would light the lamp for the overtime winning goal. The Royals' Rintoul and Robin Soudek would draw assists on the power play goal with 30 seconds remaining in overtime. Royals 4 Giants 3 in OT.

Victoria went 1/8 12.5% on the power play while Vancouver went 2/633.3% with the extra attacker. The Royals out shot the Giants 41-33.

These two teams meet again tomorrow at 3 p.m. in Maple Ridge at Planet Ice (23588 105th Ave. Maple Ridge, BC). Tickets are available at the door.