WEDNESDAY’S WHL ROUND-UP
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BLAZERS BURN ROYALS – Brendan Ranford picked up a goal and an assist as the Kamloops Blazers skated to a 5-2 win over the visiting Victoria Royals in Western Hockey League action on Wednesday night.
JC Lipon and Tim Bozon also each notched a goal and an assist while Colin Smith and Cole Ully also found the net for the Blazers (6-0-0-1), who have won their last four games while outscoring their opponents 19-5 in the process. Cole Cheveldave made 25 saves to claim his fourth win of the season.
Jamie Crooks and Taylor Crunk – with his first WHL marker – scored while Logan Nelson chipped in two assists for the Royals (6-3-0-0), who trailed 3-0 after two periods of play in the game. Patrik Polivka made 21 saves through the first two periods of play, absorbing the loss, while Coleman Vollrath stopped five of seven shots in the third frame.
COUGARS 5, ICE 4
Jari Erricson scored the go-ahead goal midway through the third period as the visiting Prince George Cougars edged the Kootenay Ice 5-4 on Wednesday night.
Colin Jacobs netted his seventh goal of the season while Dallas Ehrhardt, Caleb Belter and Brett Roulston – with his first WHL goal – also scored for the Cougars (5-1-1-0), who improve to 3-0 on the road this season. Brett Zarowney turned in a 35-save effort to post the win.
Kyle O’Connor and Colin Shirley each scored their first WHL goals while Erik Benoit and Joey Leach also counted for the Ice (1-5-0-0), who suffer their third straight setback. Mackenzie Skapski and Wyatt Hoflin combined for 12 saves in a losing effort.
OIL KINGS 4, TIGERS 2
Henrik Samuelsson scored his third goal of the season, a shorthanded marker, to help lead the visiting Edmonton Oil Kings to a 4-2 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday.
Brett Pollock scored his first WHL tally while Dylan Wruck and Griffin Reinhart also scored for the Oil Kings (5-2-1-0), who scored three goals in the first period despite being outshot 12-9 in the frame. Laurent Brossoit turned in a strong performance, stopping 34 of 36 shots to post the victory.
Miles Koules and Elgin Pearce scored for the Tigers (3-4-1-0), who went 1-for-9 on the power play while dropping their fourth straight decision. Marek Langhamer made 17 saves in the defeat.
WINTERHAWKS 4, BLADES 0
Mac Carruth turned in a 26-save performance to post a shutout in his first start of the season as the visiting Portland Winterhawks blanked the Saskatoon Blades 4-0 on Wednesday.
Rookie Presten Kopeck scored his first two WHL goals, Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied a goal and two assists and Seth Jones added his first WHL goal and an assist for the Winterhawks (5-3-1-0), who snap a two-game losing skid and improve to 2-1-1 through four games of their Eastern road trip.
Andrey Makarov turned in a 27-save effort in a losing cause for the Blades (2-6-0-0), who drop their fourth straight decision and fall to 0-4 on home ice this season.
CHIEFS 6, ROCKETS 4
Mitch Holmberg scored his eighth and ninth goals of the season to lead the visiting Spokane Chiefs to a 6-4 victory over the Kelowna Rockets on Wednesday.
Liam Stewart, Collin Valcourt and Dylan Walchuk each picked up a goal and an assist while Mike Aviani also counted for the Chiefs (5-1-0-0), who post their third straight victory. Eric Williams turned in a 39-save effort to record his fourth win in four starts this season.
Ryan Olsen scored twice – his fourth and fifth goals of the season – Dylen McKinlay notched a goal and two assists , and Colton Sissons also scored for the Rockets (3-4-1-0), who fall to 1-2 on home ice this season. Jordon Cooke stopped 27 of 32 shots in the setback.
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