Broncos buck Royals in OT
Soy surpasses Magee, smashes franchise record for career points
The Victoria Royals kept the Western Hockey League’s most lethal line off the scoresheet over three periods, but Glenn Gawdin got free in the overtime to lead the Swift Current Broncos to a 32 victory Wednesday night at the Credit Union i-plex.
Gawdin’s effort, his 20th goal of the year, overshadowed Tyler Soy’s game-tying, third-period goal for the Royals, which established a new franchise record for all-time points, sneaking by Brandon Magee.
Soy’s 125 goals, when added to 140 assists, leave the Anaheim Ducks prospect with 265 points in 281 games. Unfortunately, the Cloverdale native was fingered for checking from behind when he got tied up with an opponent along the boards, which led to Gawdin’s power-play winner.
Aleksi Heponiemi — the league’s top point-getter — had an assist on the game-winner to extend his points streak to 17 games. Linemate Tyler Steenbergen — the WHL’s top scorer — was kept off the scoresheet as the Royals tied up the lethal trio until the overtime.
“I think it was a set play. They kind of walked behind the goal line and threw it out short side while everyone was rotating,” Royals head coach Dan Price said of the deciding goal.
“It was pretty tight. He didn’t have much room to shoot at and you have to give him credit. That’s a good player, making a good play at an important moment.”
The Royals found themselves in an early hole, trailing the Broncos 2-0 as Ethan Regnier and Kole Gable scored to give the hosts the lead after 20 minutes, which included three power-play opportunities.
Victoria’s Jared Freadrich cut the lead to 2-1 with a power-play marker midway through the second before Soy hit the franchise’s record book at 4:08 of the third period.
“We were really happy for [Soy]. He’s been working so hard, not only this year, but his entire career,” Price said. “It’s a welldeserved honour and welldeserved recognition. The guys are happy for him and proud of him.
“It was an interesting game,” Price said. “[The Broncos] pressed early and had multiple power plays in the first and quite a few chances, but we felt that before all the power plays we were playing well.
“We went into the first period feeling pretty good about our game. We knew we had to keep working to get some power plays of our own and tilt the ice back in our favour a bit, and it was a close game from there.
As for keeping close tabs on the No. 1 Broncos’ line, Price said: “On the road, not as much. We just felt that if all of our forwards and defence played a certain way, a solid game with sound fundamentals, that we would be fine. That bore itself out during the course of the game. When we executed and played with good structure, we were fine against all of their lines.”
The Broncos, ranked No. 6 in the entire Canadian Hockey League, improve to 18-5-2-0. The Royals, an honourable mention in the CHL rankings, fall to 18-9-2-0 a day after a 7-4 loss in Moose Jaw against the No. 4 Warriors.
The trip continues on Friday in Medicine Hat against the Tigers before moving on to Lethbridge on Saturday. The Royals return home on Dec. 8 for the annual teddy bear toss game against the Kootenay Ice at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.