Harrison Lodewyk scored the seventh goal of the game for the Prince Albert Raiders, but it was more than enough, as they stunned the Red Deer Rebels 7-3 on the road.
Seven different players found the goal sheet for the Raiders, including three goal scorers on the powerplay.
The Raiders wasted little time shaking off their loss in Calgary on Sunday, opening the scoring on their first shot of the game. Hayden Pakkala scored just 2:49 into the first period. Skating near the wall, Pakkala cut in and powered a shot past Chase Coward. In all three games since returning from the holiday break, the Raiders opened the scoring.
Similar to those three games, Prince Albert’s opponent tied the game at 1-1. Just over three minutes after the Raiders took the early lead, Liam Keeler scored the equalizer. A nice pass from Blake Gustafson across to Keeler gave Tikhon Chaika little chance to react, and the overager scored his 12th goal of the season.
Upset with giving up the tying tally, the line of Reece Vitelli, Carson Latimer, and Keaton Sorenson hit the ice, looking to take the lead. Latimer led a rush into the Rebels zone, feathering a pass across the crease for Vitelli. Vitelli directed a puck in with his skate, putting the Raiders up 2-1 just 6:20 into the contest. A quick replay to see if Vitelli had kicked the puck in proved defective, and the goal stood, and Prince Albert took their second lead of the night.
The Rebels didn’t let that go easily, responding just 1:05 later. The top line of Ben King, Arshdeep Bains, and Jhett Larson. From the point, Larson sent a pass low to King, who slipped a pass over to Bains. Outwaiting Chaika, Bains pulled the puck to his forehand and slipped a shot low, as Chaika attempted a diving stick save. Bains’ team leading 47th point made it a tie game once again at 2-2.
After a quick pace to the first period, the two teams went into the dressing room tied at 2-2.
Sloan Stanick continued the theme of scoring early in periods, striking just 1:42 in the second to put the Raiders back on top. Tayem Gislason took a shot from the point that missed wide, but Stanick read the bounce off the board and chipped it over Coward, and Prince Albert took a 3-2 lead. That ended Coward’s night, as Connor Ungar came in relief to handle duties between the pipes.
Unsatisfied with going up by only one, the Raiders went up by a pair shortly after. Remy Aquilon snapped a shot from the point that beat the traffic in front, and a screened Ungar. Aquilon’s power play marker and third goal of the season gave the Raiders their first multi goal lead of the contest.
Trevor Thurston took a costly five minute major for kneeing in the second period, setting the Rebels up with a golden opportunity to get back in the game. On their first penalty kill of the night, the Raiders gave up a powerplay goal with under two minutes left in the penalty being served by Pakkala.
Liam Keeler got on the board again for his second goal of the game on a one timer from the slot. King sent a pass from the left circle and Keeler blasted his shot past Chaika, pulling the Rebels back to within one, making it a 4-3 Raider lead.
Another five minute major was assessed in the second period, after another nasty collision between Christoffer Sedoff and Ozzy Wiesblatt. Wiesblatt got the worst of it, as he needed help getting back to the dressing room, while Sedoff saw his night come to an end with the major penalty.
Prince Albert took advantage of their man advantage during the major, scoring another powerplay goal in the second period. Landon Kosior was the beneficiary of a backhand pass from Latimer, and he forced a forehand shot past Ungar.
Prince Albert managed to get another powerplay marker on the same man advantage, this time from the stick of Evan Herman. From the left circle Herman wired a shot top corner and in, giving the Raiders a three goal lead at 6-3. That would be the score after two periods of play.
Harrison Lodewyk had the homecoming return of his dreams in the third period, scoring his first Western Hockey League goal in the third period. Vlad Shilo sent a pass from behind the net right in front of the crease, and Lodewyk was on the doorstep to tap his first goal home.
7-3 was the final from Red Deer, as the Raiders improved to 2-1 on their four game Alberta road swing. They’re back in action on Monday night as they visit the Edmonton Oil Kings.
@kyle_kosowan•sports@paherald.sk.ca
