Heffley Scores But West Drops First Game at U-17 Challenge

By Palmer Fritschy

Robert Trzonkowski, Hunter Shinkaruk and Brandon Magee all scored goals in the final 12 minutes as Pacific survived against West, earning a 5-2 win on Wednesday night in front of a standing-room only crowd at the MTS Iceplex.

The first period was a physical one, with skirmishes around the net and three penalties for both teams.Two of those penalties, just 28 seconds apart, led to the game’s opening goal off the stick of Pacific captain Griffin Reinhart.

After an early penalty against West in the second period, forward Colton Heffley scored a shorthanded goal to tie it up at 1-1, the lone goal of the middle frame. Pacific had a chance to take its second lead intothe intermission, but a potential goal was called back due to the whistle being blown before the puck crossed the line.

Special teams was responsible for the third goal, a 4-on-4 marker by Mike Winther just 49 seconds into the third period, and the fourth, Brendan Harms’ power play goal that brought West back even at 2-2.

The game remained tied until Trzonkowski’s goal at 8:16, followed shortly by Shinkaruk on the power play and Magee, making it a 5-2 game and rounding out the scoring.

Defenseman Reid Gow was named player of the game for West, while goaltender Mackenzie Skapski earned the nod for Pacific.  Both teams will next play against the Czech Republic, with Pacific facing off against them on December 30, while West will play them one day later, on December 31.