Royals Use Special Teams to Edge Out the Giants 2-1

October 7th, 2012

VANCOUVER, BC – A shorthanded goal in the first minute and a power play goal 6:15 into the 2nd period was all Victoria needed on Sunday night, as they squeezed out a 2-1 road victory in front of 4,507 fans at the Pacific Coliseum.

The Giants received a power play just 20 seconds into the hockey game, but only 10 seconds later, the Royals’ Brandon Magee broke down the middle and opened the scoring shorthanded on a snap shot from the high slot. Eerily, it was the 4th time in 7 games that the Giants opposition scored on their first shot on goal.

Vancouver returned the favour just 40 seconds into the 2nd period when Nathan Burns got his team back on even ground, outwaiting a sprawled out Polivka on a rebound to bury the puck into an open net.

But the Royals would re-take the lead on a power play goal at 6:15 of the 2nd, when Logan Nelson set up Austin Carroll for an open net tap-in at the side of the goal to put the Royals up 2-1.

As it turns out, the two goaltenders, Tyler Fuhr for Vancouver and Patrick Polivka for Victoria, were perfect the rest of the way in a tight-checking contest on both ends of the ice.

Despite the Giants pouring it on in the 3rd and outshooting the Royals 11-4, Polivka and the Royals defense held down the fort.

The Giants had one great opportunity late in the game, when Cain Franson was awarded a penalty shot for the Royals deliberately dislodging the net to get a whistle in the final 2 minutes. Franson tried to deke to the backhand and go five-hole, but Polivka stayed with him and made the butterfly save to preserve the victory for his team.

Tonight's Dickie's Hardest Working Player of the Game was Nathan Burns

Polivka finished the night with an impressive 29 saves on 30 shots and was named the game’s first star. Meanwhile, Tyler Fuhr earned 3rd star honours with 20 saves on 22 shots faced.