Among the crowd of 5,361 Saturday night at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre were the Uruguayan and Argentine rugby players, here for the Americas championship, getting their first taste of live ice hockey.
The South Americans were treated to an example of old-school Canadian fire-wagon hockey, even if it was an American who stole the show.
Minnesota-product Ben Walker had two goals 聴 including the game winner on the power play at 17:44 of the third period 聴 to give the Victoria Royals a
3-2 WHL victory over the Kelowna Rockets.
聯I got lucky there [on the winner],聰 said Walker, who converted a shot taken on goal from the point by defenceman Tyler Stahl.
聯Tyler saw me back door and the puck was there. We played well and it was a full team effort. We knew what we needed to do 聴 get pucks deep and get on the forecheck. It聮s always nice to get that push back [after Kelowna聮s 4-1 victory Friday].聰
The other major storyline was rookie Victoria goaltender Coleman Vollrath, making his career first WHL start, and acquitting himself well in a
30-save victory.
聯This definitely feels good,聰 said the native of Calgary.
聯It聮s a credit to my teammates. They were pushing the pace.聰
Vollrath is one of three goalies still on the Royals roster.
聯I can聮t speculate about that,聰 he said. 聯I just have to keep working hard.聰
Royals head coach Dave Lowry, after the game, addressed the three-way crease race between Vollrath, Czech-import Patrik Polivka and returnee Jared Rathjen.
聯We don聮t have a time frame,聰 said Lowry, whose club moved to 7-4.
聯They are making the decision tough for us, which is exactly what we want. It聮s a good luxury to have.聰
The Royals started out listless in a first period in which they were outshot
12-3.
Kelowna聮s Rourke Chartier scored the lone goal of the opening frame. Walker, on just Victoria聮s fifth shot of the game, tied it at 3:31 of the second period.
Walker won a clear decision minutes later against Kelowna聮s 2012 second-round Nashville Predators draft pick Colton Sissons in a duel between two guys who don聮t often drop their gloves.
聯I聮m not much of a fighter,聰 Walker admitted.
It was one of three fights in what became a testy second period. The third one of those proved costly for Victoria with Austin Carroll drawing the lone five-minute major of that altercation along with a game misconduct.
The situation was exacerbated by two Royals delay of game penalties that allowed Kelowna (4-5-1) nearly four minutes of two-man advantage. Myles Bell connected with just one second remaining on the two-man advantage just as it seemed Victoria would survive that ordeal.
Defenceman Jesse Zgraggen, from the point on an assist from Walker, tied matters 2-2 in the third period with his first goal of the season.
ICE CHIPS: Injured Victoria forward Steven Hodges, 2012 Florida Panthers draft pick, sat out his eighth consecutive game but Lowry said Hodges 聯is getting close to playing聰 . . . The other Royals notable scratched was defenceman and 2011 Senators draft pick Jordan Fransoo on a coach聮s decision.
