The Victoria Royals swept their first two Western Hockey League preseason games over the weekend.
Teague Patton’s overtime goal gave the Royals a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Giants on Sunday at the Langley Events Centre. It was Patton’s second goal of the game, and third of the exhibition season, after he also scored in the 5-2 win over the Prince George Cougars on Saturday in Port Coquitlam. The Kelowna-raised forward was acquired by the Royals in an off-season trade this summer with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Veteran forward Carter Dereniwsky added a goal and assist for Victoria against the Giants. Carter Briltz, another returning forward, had two goals over the first two exhibition games.
Returnee Campbell Arnold and rookie Jayden Kraus shared the crease time Sunday for the Royals with Arnold stopping 15 of 17 shots and Kraus turning away all 11 shots he faced. Kraus was also strong in the win against the Cougars as he and fellow-rookie goaltender Logan Cunningham combined to make 52 saves.
The Royals conclude their four-game preseason tonight in Kelowna against the Rockets and Wednesday night in Kamloops against the Blazers. The regular-season openers are Sept. 23-24 at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre against the visiting Spokane Chiefs.
