The Victoria Royals snuck out a 5–4 win against provincial division leader Kamloops Blazers on Saturday night.
Gloves were off the moment the top two division teams stepped on the ice, with Royals’ Carson Miller and Blazers’ Zanfe Franklin going head to head only 21 seconds into the game. The Royals took the first goal of the night, as right-wing Alex Bolshakkov put one past Kamloops with seven minutes left in the first.
No more than five minutes later, centre Kaid Oliver blasted one past Blazers’ goalie Rayce Ramsay, bringing the score to 2–0.
The second period saw Kamloops rack up their first point of the night, but due to accidental contact with the goalie, it was determined as no goal. Moments later, Royals’ Carson Miller scored a penalty shot after he was hauled down from behind on a breakaway, bringing the board to 3–0.
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But just when the Royals felt comfortable, the Blazers came back with a fury, knocking in three points over the span of a minute and a half. The score totaled 3–3 by the end of the second.
The final period saw right-wing Tarun Fizer shoot a goal on a partial breakaway two minutes from the halfway mark and Brandon Cutler nab another point for the Royals three minutes later. Not even another goal for the Blazers and an empty net was enough to knock off the Royals’ crown, with the game ending 5–4.
The Royals take on the Red Deer Rebels next on Tuesday, Feb. 11. Puck drop is at 7:05 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Select Your Tickets box office, over the phone by calling 250-220-7777, or online at www.selectyourtickets.com.
aaron.guillen@goldstreamgazette.com
@iaaronguillen
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