The Raiders Jr. Hockey Club will be pleased with how they closed out the first week of the Manitoba Major Junior Hockey League season.
The week didn’t start as planned, with the Raiders shut out 6–0 in their season opener Thursday against the Stonewall Jets. But they bounced back in a big way Sunday, posting a 6–0 victory of their own over the Pembina Valley Twisters.
Thursday’s loss saw the Raiders fall behind 3–0 early before conceding three more times over the final two periods.
Sunday’s rebound performance at Seven Oaks Sportsplex was a different story. The Raiders came out firing with 17 first-period shots on the Twisters’ netminder. Carter Andersson broke the ice with his first goal as a Raider, giving the home side the early edge.
Andersson then picked up an assist in the second period on Lucas Desousa’s first of the campaign, providing insurance as the Raiders carried a 2–0 lead into the third.
Already leading 21–12 in shots, the Raiders poured on another 21 in the final frame while allowing just one against. Goaltender Braeden Martell stopped that lone third-period shot to complete a 13-save shutout in his MMJHL debut.
Owen Lourenco, Cole Kennedy, Desousa, and Ashton Henry added four unanswered goals in the third as the Raiders cruised to their first win of the season.
With a 1–1–0 record, the Raiders sit in the middle of the MMJHL standings entering Week 2 of the regular season.
Next up for the Raiders are a pair of road games — Thursday, Oct. 9 against the St. Vital Jr. Victorias (7:30 p.m. at St. Vital Centennial Arena) a
