The Kings Hockey team explodes for six goals in their home opener

Red Deer, October 14, 2022 - In a very high scoring and physical game, the Red Deer Polytechnic Kings hockey team came away with a 6-3 win over the University of Alberta-Augustana Vikings.

It was a fiery first few minutes of the opening frame with two very quick goals.

The Vikings opened the scoring with a goal from their captain Owen Lamb 11 seconds into the game after a pass off the board from Colby Wolter. The other assist was given to Tanner Manz.

A minute later, Tyson Janzen would put it on net and Dylan Esau would tip it home, scoring Red Deer's first goal of the season and tie the game at one.

The Vikings would have a goal disallowed after one of their players gloved it into the back of the net. The score would stay 1-1.

Later on in the period, Parker Gavlas got two minutes for roughing and put the Kings on the penalty kill. But the Kings take pride in their special teams and were able to kill it off.

After killing off the penalty, a nice pass from Gavlas sent Jacob Wozney down the boards with speed and sniped one past the Vikings goaltender Daniel Moody at 14:21.

After the first period, the Kings led the Vikings 2-1 and outshot the visiting team 18-9.

Like the opening frame, the Vikings would strike first and early with a goal from Quintin Sudom assisted by Jake Gudjonson and Kyle Ford to tie the game up at two.

A few minutes later Tanner Sklaruk would get a shot off after driving into the offensive zone beating two Viking players. He would grab his own rebound and put it up and over Moody for his first of the season. After the whistle was blown, Knight would run into the Vikings goaltender. He was assessed a five-minute major for goaltender interference and a game misconduct. Rett Rook would come in to replace the injured Moody.

The physical activity would continue in the second period with a five-minute major penalty for head contact handed out to Vikings Jack Hamly for a cross-check to the head to Kings defenceman Ty Ettinger. On the play, Red Deer forward Jacob Wozney would get two and a 10-minute misconduct for head contact as well.

Some great forechecking from the Kings led to the Vikings to turning over the puck to Deegan Mofford who would pass it to Chase Haygarth in front of the net and would put it home for the Kings fourth goal of the game.

Looking to cut in to the Kings lead, Vikings Sudom was sent on a breakaway, but fourth-year goaltender Arik Weersink stood tall and turned the shot aside, keeping it 4-2.

While the Vikings were shorthanded Ford received a pass in the slot and snapped it on net, but Weersink pulled out the blocker for his 15^th save of the game.

The Kings would go to the locker room with a 4-2 lead over the Camrose squad. Shots were 34-18 for Red Deer.

Kings would go down early in the third period with a high sticking penalty to Sean Michalevich. This led to an early Vikings powerplay.

Augustana would capitalize on it cutting the Kings lead to one. Ford shot the puck from the blueline and Travis Roch was able to get his stick on it to deflect it past Weersink.

Red Deer would bounce back with a powerplay goal of their own as Hayden Clayton found the loose puck in the paint and put it home. Chase Longjohn would get the lone assist.

The offense would continue for the Kings with Mofford finding the back of the net and extending the Kings lead to three goals at 6:35 of the third period.

The Kings had a chance to make it 7-3 after a nice feed from Mofford to Nolan Doell who one-timed it on net but Vikings goaltender Rook went post-to-post to make the save.

In the late stages of the third period Kings forward Clayton would be assessed a two and a 10-minute misconduct for head contact.

The final buzzer would go, and the Kings would come away with the 6-3 victory over the Vikings.

Head Coach Trevor Keeper says forechecking was the biggest reason why his team was so successful today.

"With forechecking, position is not only important but also finishing your checks and hitting. This causes turnovers in the offensive zone which usually leads to a scoring chance so that was one of our focuses."

Keeper adds they executed their game plan very well. The Kings were able to put pucks on goal where there was a chance for a deflection, or the goaltender would not be able to see it. The coach says that was a difference maker in the game because the Vikings goalie is big and will save it if he is looking right at the shooter.

The player of the game for the visiting Vikings would go to Gudjonson who finished off the game with one assist. As for the Kings, Esau would be awarded the honor after scoring Red Deer's first goal of the 2022/2023 season.

These teams will face off in a rematch at 6 pm in Camrose and it will be streamed on ACACTV.