The Royals lost to Portland Winterhawks 6–5 in a nail-biting overtime match Saturday night.
The game began on a positive note when Carson Miller snuck in a goal just two minutes in on a powerplay. But the Winterhawks didn’t wait too long to tie up the score just over three minutes later. Forward Riley Gannon assisted Keanu Derungs to bring the board to 2–1. Notably, this was Gannon’s first goal in the Western Hockey League (WHL).
With the Winterhawks riled up, the second period saw a comeback from Portland as the Winterhawks scored two goals past fresh goalie Adam Evanoff within four minutes. This was the first game Evanoff played for the Royals.
Luckily, the Royals were able to pull off the same move as Portland as Kaid Oliver scored his first goal of the night and Keanu Derungs grabbed his second, bringing the score to 4–3.
The score quickly changed as Portland tied it up once again, leaving it at 4–4 by the end of the second period.
READ MORE: Victoria Grizzlies confirm plans to retire Stanley cup winnet Tyler Bozak’s jersey number
ALSO READ: VIDEO: Royals shock Thunderbirds with 3–1 win
The third period began on a strong note as Kaid Oliver landed his second goal, but the Winterhawks clamped down on the Royals and tied up the score one final time with just over three minutes remaining. In overtime, Portland finished the game with a final goal past the Royals.
The Royals will host the Tri-City Americans on Tuesday, Jan. 14 and Wednesday, Jan. 15. Puck drop for both games 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
@iaaronguillenLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
