The Raiders Jr. Hockey Club closed out the third week of February with three games in four nights, earning a hard-fought overtime victory Sunday after dropping a pair of road contests earlier in the week.
The stretch began Thursday night at St. Vital Centennial Arena, where the Raiders fell 6-5 to the St. Vital Jr. Victorias in a back-and-forth affair.
Ashton Henry led the Raiders with a hat trick, scoring twice in the first period and adding another in the second. Logan Bruneau and Noah Banera also found the back of the net. The teams combined for nine first-period goals, with St. Vital taking a 3-3 tie and turning it into a 6-5 lead through 40 minutes. Neither side scored in the third.
Owen Savoie made 35 saves on 41 shots in the loss, while the Raiders directed 51 shots on Marek Sobkow.
The Raiders were back on the ice Friday at Eric Coy Arena but came up short again, falling 6-3 to the Charleswood Hawks.
Zach Einarson opened the scoring with a first-period power-play marker, assisted by Riley Kushnier and Matthew Wilson. Lucas Desousa and Wilson added second-period goals to keep the game tight at 3-3 after 40 minutes.
However, Charleswood pulled away in the third, powered by a hat trick from Nathan Vigfusson. Savoie turned aside 23 of 29 shots in the defeat.
The Raiders rebounded Sunday afternoon at Seven Oaks SportsPlex, edging the Ft. Garry/Ft. Rouge Twins 4-3 in overtime.
Nicholas Besyk opened the scoring in the first period before Desousa struck twice early in the second to give the Raiders a 3-0 lead. The Twins rallied with three unanswered third-period goals to force overtime.
Matthew Wilson played hero at 3:17 of the extra frame, finishing a setup from Henry and Cole Bilous to secure the win. Savoie stopped 26 of 29 shots to earn the victory.
The Raiders now turn their attention to a home-and-home set with the Ft. Garry/Ft. Rouge Twins, hosting them Feb. 24 before travelling to face the River East Royal Knights on Feb. 27. St. James visits for a Sunday matinee on March 1.
With the regular season entering its final stretch, the Raiders will look to build momentum off Sunday’s overtime win.
In the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League standings, the Raiders sit eighth with a 14-23-3 record through 40 games for 31 points (.388). They trail the seventh-place Ft. Garry/Ft. Rouge Twins (40 GP, 43 points) and the sixth-place St. James Jr. Canucks (38 GP, 43 points).
The Transcona Railer Express lead the league at 67 points, followed by the St. Boniface Riels (56), Stonewall Jets (50), River East Royal Knights (47) and Charleswood Hawks (47). The St. Vital Jr. Victorias (24 points) and Pembina Valley Twisters (14) round out the standings.
