After a lean spell, the Seattle Thunderbirds head into the 2015-16 Western Hockey League season as a trendy pick to take a run at the championship.
The Victoria Royals, however, upended the Thunderbirds 4-1 in a pre-season game Friday night before 1,421 fans at the Showare Center in Kent, Washington, although there鈥檚 little to read into the result since several top players from both sides are currently skating in NHL training camps.
鈥淲e have to keep it in perspective because they [T-Birds] have a lot of guys away in NHL camps, but still we came out and performed well,鈥� said Royals coach Dave Lowry.
Jared Dmytriw scored twice to lead the Royals while Russian import Vadimir Bobylev and rookie Matthew Phillips scored the other goals. Rookie defenceman Scott Walford picked up two assists for a team-leading seven points in the pre-season. Alex Forsberg and Phillips are tied for second with six points each.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we need 鈥� different guys stepping up throughout the lineup,鈥� said Lowry.
Over-age goalkeeper Coleman Vollrath made 28 saves for the victory. Griffen Outhouse dressed in reserve, with Evan Smith away in Nashville Predators NHL training camp and 16-year-old Dylan Myskiw returned to Midget in Manitoba.
Victoria put 29 shots on Seattle creasemen Taz Burman and Logan Flodell.
Victoria (3-3) concludes the WHL pre-season tonight in Everett against the Silvertips.
The regular-season opener is next Friday at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre against the Portland Winterhawks.
