Raiders bash Broncos 4-1

P.A. won’t be a pushover down stretch of WHL campaign

The Raiders celebrate a second period goal by Niall Crocker (#20).

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – If you are going to play the Prince Albert Raiders during the home stretch of the WHL campaign, you better be prepared to battle.

The young reloading Raiders might be sitting 11^th among the 12 teams in the WHL’s Eastern Conference and nine points out of a playoff spot, but they aren’t going to mail any games in. On Saturday night, the Raiders hosted the Swift Current Broncos at the Art Hauser Centre, and the Broncos entered the regular season clash holding a playoff spot.

By night’s end, the Broncos dropped to 24-22-1-2 and fell out of a playoff spot sliding to ninth in the Eastern Conference. They sit one point behind the Medicine Hat Tigers (22-22-7-1) with three games in hand. Prince Albert has one game in hand on Medicine Hat.

Keaton Sorensen (#20) had a goal and two assists for the Raiders.

In Saturday’s clash with the Broncos, the Raiders overcame a bit of a sluggish start in the first period giving up the game’s first goal before going on to cruise to a 4-1 victory to the delight of the 2,343 spectators in attendance at the team’s storied home rink. The host side improved to 20-28-3 with the win.

Raiders head coach Jeff Truitt said it is in forefront of his team’s mind that they have to come out, battle and give an honest effort every night.

“You never want to be (an easy out),” said Truitt, whose team fell 4-0 to the Broncos in Swift Current one night earlier. “We said that right from the get go that we want our players to be excited and dedicated and to learn the right way.

Niall Crocker had a goal and an assist for the Raiders.

“Those guys have learned the right way, and no matter who we play, we want to make sure that we are playing to the best of our capabilities. Sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose. If you don’t put that effort in, you’re not going to give yourself the chance.

“Our guys are doing a good job. This is very eerie feeling from last year, when we were nine or 10 points out of the playoffs with about this many games left and we got in on the last day. There is no quit in there, and that is what we want to strive for.”

The Broncos opened the scored just 34 seconds into the first period. After the Raiders coughed the puck up in their own zone, Broncos 19-year-old Caleb Wyrostok wired home his 16^th of the season to give the visitors a one-goal edge.

Caleb Wyrostok had the Broncos lone goal on Saturday.

Just past the midway point of the first, the Raiders evened the score a 1-1, when 17-year-old left-winger Harrison Lodewyk banged home a gritty goal during a net scramble.

With 1:51 remaining in the first, Raiders centre Hayden Pakkala was given a boarding major and a game misconduct for a hit he threw on Broncos 20-year-old defenceman Sam McGinley. The infraction will trigger an automatic review by the WHL office for a possible suspension for Pakkala. McGinley was able to stay in the game.

Prince Albert’s penalty kill on the five-minute power play for Swift Current was stellar, and the Broncos had all sorts of trouble setting up for any quality shots.

Ryder Ritchie had a goal and an assist for the Raiders on Saturday.

A short time after killing off the major infraction, the Raiders went ahead at the 4:04 of the second on a beauty goal by standout 16-year-old rookie right-winger Ryder Ritchie. Ritchie was sprung seemingly on a breakaway into the Swift Current zone, but was caught up by a pursuing Broncos defender.

The Calgary, Alta., product toe dragged the puck around the Broncos defender, drove in on the Swift Current net and snapped home his 14^th tally of the campaign to give the Raiders a 2-1 lead.

Just over four minutes later the Raiders extended their advantage to 3-1 scoring on the power play. Raiders overage centre Keaton Sorensen had the puck behind the Swift Current net and fed a pass on to the tape of the stick of linemate Niall Crocker, who was positioned in front of the goal. Crocker quickly fired home the puck to give the hosts their two-goal edge.

Max Hildebrand stopped 33 shots in goal for the Raiders.

“Obviously, we weren’t happy about last night,” said Crocker. “We went into Swift Current, and I think they beat us in all areas.

“We were obviously frustrated with that. It was a great response game from us. Everyone was working today and blocking shots and getting pucks out.

“It was just a great performance there.”

At that point, the Raiders were carrying the momentum, and rookie 17-year-old defenceman Justice Christensen nailed Broncos star centre Mathew Ward with big open ice hit, when Ward had entered the Prince Albert zone in a rush.

With 56.2 seconds remaining in the third, Sorensen fired home his team leading 18^th goal of the season from the front of the Swift Current net to ultimately round out the 4-1 final. Right-winger Gabe Ludwig slid a smart pass from the left corner of the Swift Current to Sorensen in front of the net to allow the overager to give the host side a three-goal lead.

Evan Herman, right, fires a shot on goal for the Raiders.

Sorensen finished the night posting one goal, two assists and a plus-three rating in the plus-minus department.

Crocker said the Raiders are gaining confidence as a group, and he believes his club has improved a tonne overall as the season has gone on.

“It has been awesome seeing the development,” said Crocker, who had an assist to go with his goal. “Guys like (Justice) Christensen today just throwing the body everywhere.

“You can’t really get around that guy. Marty (Grady Martin) is making smart plays everywhere and (Seth) Tansem. All our young guys are stepping up, and it is definitely huge for us.”

Gabe Ludwig had an assist for the Raiders on Saturday.

The Broncos tried to mount a push back in the third holding a 12-6 edge in shots on goal for the frame, but they weren’t able to cut in the Raiders lead.

Max Hildebrand had a stellar night stopping 33 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Raiders. Reid Dyck turned away 17 shots to take the setback in net for the Broncos.

Ritchie had an assist to go along with his goal.

Hildebrand said his team takes pride in not being an easy out.

“We love the way we play,” said Hildebrand. “We love this rink, and our fans, they juice us up every night.

“That is our style of play. We’re gritty and we like to battle. That is all it is.”

The Raiders huddle around their bench during a timeout.

The Broncos get back it on Tuesday when they travel to Brandon to take on the 21-22-7 Wheat Kings (7 p.m. local time, Westoba Place).

The Raiders return to action on Friday when they host Connor Bedard and the 25-22-2-1 Regina Pats (7 p.m., Art Hauser Centre).

Truitt said it has been great seeing the improvement in his young team, and he wants his squad to keep improving as the WHL campaign hits its stretch run.

“As a coach, that is what you want to see,” said Truitt. “You want to see guys develop and get better.

The Raiders celebrate their win on Saturday.

“You talk about Aiden Oiring, you talk about Ryder Ritchie, you talk about Seth Tansem and it goes on and on to (Grady) Martin and (Cole) Peardon. Those guys have really come along, and that is a real testament to those guys. They’ve come into a new league or a new team, and they have to learn our way and they have.

“They have embraced it. They’re finding success that way, so it is great to see.”

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