EVERETT聽 2
VICTORIA聽 1 (OT)
The Victoria Royals continue gaining traction a little bit at a time, staying above .500, in the young Western Hockey League season after winning 50 games and the league regular-season crown last year.
The Royals (8-7-2) were beaten 2-1 by the Silvertips (11-2-2) in overtime, but scratched out another point on Saturday night in Everett, Washington.
That follows a 5-4 overtime loss, and another point, the night before against the Tri City Americans in Kennewick, Washington.
鈥淓very night in this conference is tough,鈥� said Victoria head coach Dave Lowry.
鈥淏ut I thought we responded well this weekend 鈥� and we had a really good effort tonight in Everett.鈥�
The Silvertips presented a difficult challenge. Defenceman Noah Juulsen, a first-round draft pick of the Montreal Canadiens, is captain of the WHL all-star team that will play the Russian junior selects Nov. 7 in Prince George and Nov. 8 in Edmonton.
Goaltender Carter Hart is the goalkeeper for the WHL team and a second-round draft selection of the Philadelphia Flyers. Both Juulsen and Hart are strongly expected to be on the Canadian team in the 2017 world junior hockey championships, which begin on Boxing Day in Montreal and Toronto.
Juulsen scored twice and Hart stymied Victoria in the crease one week ago in a 3-1 Silvertips victory last Saturday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. The pair were at it again last night. Juulsen scored to tie the game 1-1 while Hart was named first star of the game for his 26 saves.
But the story of Saturday night was the second star, Victoria goaltender Griffen Outhouse, who turned in a towering 40-save performance.
Consistency is an issue, but when this 18-year-old is on, he is hard to beat.
鈥淕riffen gave us a chance to win tonight,鈥� Lowry said.
Connor Dewar of the Silvertips, however, won it with a goal at 46 seconds of three-on-three overtime.
Victoria sniper Tyler Soy, coming off a hat trick the night before against Tri City, gave the Royals a 1-0 lead in the first period by finding a space between Hart's pads.
Soy will be joining Juulsen and Hart on the WHL team against the Russians, and if all goes well, at the world junior tournament.
Soy now has nine goals on the season and 99 in his quest of Brandon Magee's Royals team career record of 101.
The Royals concluded their four-game road swing 1-1-2 and are a credible 5-3-3 on the road this season.
The Royals return to Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Tuesday night for a game against the Red Deer Rebels.
