PATS 5 BRONCOS 2

Photo courtesy Darwin Knelsen

Swift Current, SK – The Regina Pats (32-27-3-5) opened a key divisional week against the Swift Current Broncos (23-36-5-3) Wednesday night.  Riley Woods scored twice and Jordan Hollett made 36 saves as the Pats won 5-2.

Game Story
The Pats didn’t waste any time, using an early powerplay to get on the board.  Riley Woods neatly tipped a Chase Harrison point shot past Taz Burman just 2:28 into the game.  With the Broncos pushing back on a powerplay of their own, Sam Steel set up Cole Sanford for a shorthanded goal off a two-on-one to pad the Pats lead.  That proved important as Swift Current came right back with a powerplay goal from Jon Martin leaving the teams tied halfway through the period.  Lane Zablocki sent the Pats to the break, up 3-1 when he barreled down the left side, cut to the middle put a shot in off the post with 5:25 left in the period.  Jordan Hollett made 13 saves in the period.

Another early powerplay saw the Pats extend their lead to start the second.  Harrison spied Woods across the ice on the back door and on a second attempt, the Regina product slipped the puck to the back of the net for his second of the night.  Despite controlling the first half of the period, the Pats couldn’t add further to their lead and ran into penalty trouble.  Taking two penalties on the same sequence, the Blue and White found themselves down two men for a full two minutes.  They battled through the kill, then took care of the remaining two minutes of the double minor to lead 4-1 after forty.

The third period was the Pats’ turn to face an early penalty, but the Blue and White got through it and killed another to finish the night seven for eight down a man.  Into the late stages of the third, the Pats pressed on a long pressure shift that ended when Sergey Zborovskiy rifled a rebound to the back of the Swift Current goal for a 5-1 advantage.  The Broncos did get one back when Lane Pederson broke away shorthanded, avoided a diving Sanford and Hollett poke check to lift the puck into the goal.  The Broncos didn’t get any closer and the Pats closed out the 5-2 victory.

Quick Hits
– Cole Sanford has goals in four straight games with six goals over that span.
– Adam Brooks’ point streak came to an end at a WHL-high 18 games (8G-30A-38PTS).
– Game attendance was 1,842.

What’s Next?
The Pats take on the Moose Jaw Warriors in a playoff-like home and home beginning Friday at the Brandt Centre in a 7 p.m. puck drop.  Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.ca, the Brandt Centre Box Office and Safeway locations throughout Regina.

(Courtesy Daniel Fink/Regina Pats)