PATS GROUND ROCKETS 4-3

REGINA – The Regina Pats outlasted the Kelowna Rockets to the tune of a 4-3 win at the Brandt Centre on Friday night.

In the first, the Rockets opened the scoring when Jadon Joseph set up Pavel Novak back door and it was 1-0, eight minutes in. The Regina powerplay responded at the 12-minute mark, Caiden Daley tipped in a Zach Wytinck point shot to tie the game at one and that was the score after the first. In the second, Zach Wytinck gave the Pats their first lead just under two minutes in, his third of the season and it was 2-1. Regina went up 3-1 10 minutes later when Kyle Walker scored his third from the right circle and the Pats took the two-goal lead to the break. In the third, Matthew Wedman scored on the powerplay with eight minutes left to cut the Pats lead to 3-2. 1:39 later, Ryker Evans scored his third from the left point and Regina led 4-2. The Rockets came back with a shorthanded goal with 4:31 left, but the Pats held on from there for a big 4-3 victory.

The Pats were outshot 39-32, the powerplay went one for seven and the penalty kill was three for four. Caiden Daley and Zach Wytinck led the offence with a goal and an assist, while Max Paddock made 36 saves and was named the game’s first star.

The Pats (8-18-3-0) will wrap up the unofficial first half of the season on Sunday afternoon when they host the Winnipeg ICE at 4 p.m. at the Brandt Centre.

(Phil Andrews/ReginaPats.com)