If you haven’t caught a Victoria Royals game recently, you might want to pencil it into your calendar immediately.
The Royals are surging ahead in the BC Division standings, boasting an impressive nine-point cushion over second-place rivals, the Prince George Cougars, after a weekend sweep at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre.
The stakes were high as the Royals hosted the Cougars for back-to-back games this past weekend. What could have been a tight race for the division lead turned into an ideal scenario for Victoria fans, as the Royals secured two massive wins, solidifying their spot atop the division.
On Friday, fans were treated to a thrilling opener. Despite Prince George getting on the board first, Caleb Matthews quickly answered back for Victoria, assisted by Hayden Moore and Cosmo Wilson, tying the game 1-1 by the end of the first period.
The Royals didn’t look back, as Justin Kipkie and Hayden Moore pushed the team ahead in the second period. Brandon Lisowsky and Cosmo Wilson added insurance goals in the third to help secure a 5-3 victory.
Saturday’s rematch brought even more fireworks. Escalus Burlock wasted no time, opening the scoring for Victoria just three minutes in, with Keaton Verhoeff quickly following suit.
Kenta Isogai further electrified (it was ECO night, ecuse the pun) the crowd, giving Victoria a commanding 3-0 lead after the first period. Markus Loponen extended the lead to 4-0 early in the second period before Prince George managed to get on the board with a power-play goal from Koehn Ziemmer.
The Cougars clawed back in the third, narrowing Victoria’s lead to just one goal, but Teydon Trembecky iced the game with two empty-netters, ensuring a 6-3 victory and a clean sweep of the weekend series.
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The Royals’ scoring prowess has significantly ramped up since the WHL trade deadline on January 9th, with an astonishing 91 goals in the past 19 games—averaging nearly five goals per game.
Much of this offensive explosion can be credited to newcomers Kenta Isogai and Brandon Lisowsky, who have not only individually contributed 14 goals each in their 22 games with Victoria but have also tallied a combined 27 assists, strengthening all four lines for the Royals.
Victoria now comfortably sits atop the BC Division and holds the second spot in the Western Conference, trailing the Everett Silvertips by just 10 points.
The Royals look to maintain their momentum as they continue their seven-game homestand this weekend against the Portland Winterhawks.
Catch the action live at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Friday, February 28th at 7:05 p.m and at 6:05 p.m. on Saturday, March 1st.
With playoff hockey around the corner, the Royals are giving fans plenty to cheer about—and plenty of reasons to believe this could be their year.
Victoria Royals vs. Portland Winterhawks
- Where: Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, 1925 Blanshard Street
- When:
- Friday, February 28th, puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
- Saturday, March 1st, puck drops at 6:05 p.m.
