By Jeff D'Andrea

GOALIE GOAL ALERT; Raiders’ Scott scores in win over TC

Nov 16, 2018 | 10:03 PM

Prince Albert Raiders goaltender Ian Scott has done just about everything already in his WHL career, but he added two more things Friday night in a 3-1 victory over the Tri-City Americans.

Scott, who again is a goaltender, scored his first WHL career goal in the game and had his first fly-by goal celebration. With the Americans’ net empty, Scott fielded a dump-in on his end boards, looked up at Tri-City net and went for glory.

But unlike his attempt on Wednesday that hit the uniquely low-hanging Art Hauser Centre scoreboard in a 2-0 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers, Scott was able to line-drive it underneath and into the empty cage.

Ian Scott has done it!!! After hitting the scoreboard on Wednesday, Scott adjusts, picks his 7 iron instead and scores the 3-1 goal. Unbelievable @IceScott99 pic.twitter.com/M8to1pq77z

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 17, 2018

“He made a liar out of me. I thought it’d be tough in this building,” Raiders head coach Marc Habscheid said. “He got good wood on that one, he hammered it and it went in. Last time it was a two-goal lead, and that time it was one, so I’m glad he hit the net or it would have been a faceoff in our end again. Good for him.”

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“I mentioned to Habby, maybe I not go so high, just kind of a bullet down the middle. I guess it worked out,” a smiling Scott said. “I thought it was going to get picked off. It was a pretty congested middle—got lucky.”

According to WHL author, blogger and historian Gregg Drinnan, that’s the eighth goal in WHL history to be scored by a goaltender. That puts him in the esteemed company of Olaf Kolzig and Chris Osgood, who went on to have iconic NHL careers.

The most recent WHL goalie goal was on Mar. 18, 2016 when Stuart Skinner of the Lethbridge Hurricanes scored against the Medicine Hat Tigers. You may remember the goal and the unbelievable call from voice of the Hurricanes Dustin Forbes. 

For the Raiders, that’s now their 12^th straight win on the season and improves their record to 19-1 on the year. On Wednesday, they were ranked first in the Kia CHL Top 10 Weekly Rankings for a fifth consecutive week.

Regardless of who they’ve played, what type of game it is and what challenges they face on the ice, the Raiders have found a way to win.

The Americans challenged them physically, more than any other game in their 20 so far to start the year. They also scored first, with Krystof Hrabik drawing first blood early in the third period.

Hrabik finally breaks the ice here, 1-0 Americans just over a minute into the third period. He finds a little room right after a Raiders’ block pic.twitter.com/9K2T3OrkBn

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 17, 2018

“You have to give a lot of credit to them. They played well, they pushed us and that’s what’s going to make us better,” Raiders captain Brayden Pachal said. “I think the good thing about our team is we can play skilled, or we can play rough. They pushed the pace a little bit, and I think we answered.”

That stopped the Raiders long shutout streak they had that lasted over two full games worth of minutes, 122:54. To find the previous goal scored against the Raiders, you have to go back to last Friday when Eric Houk of the Swift Current Broncos scored with 1:43 left in the second period of the Raiders’ 6-2 victory.

But then, the former Americans teamed up to get the Raiders right back into the game. Brett Leason, who the Americans traded to the Raiders last year for a third round draft choice, won it back to Raiders defenceman Sergei Sapego, who the Americans put on import waivers last year, who sniped it in and tied up the game.

Sergei Sapego ties this one up against the team that put him on waivers last year on the power play and he’s all kinds of jacked up about it. He got the assist from Brett Leason, who Tri traded last year. 1-1 game 5 into third pic.twitter.com/p0Btdngcaj

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 17, 2018

“It’s a big win, it’s a tough game,” Sapego said, with his fellow Belarussian Aliaksei Protas on standby in case any translation was needed. “I was a little bit nervous because I played last year a little bit in Tri-City. It’s a tough game. There was a little bit more focus on me and Lease and a little hard play.”

Then captain Brayden Pachal broke the deadlock 1:22 later, after Kody McDonald found him open in the slot. Pachal buried the game winner for the second of his career.

Brayden Pachal adds on right after and extends the Raiders lead to 2-1. The energy in this building is off the charts right now. pic.twitter.com/LD2eASob04

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 17, 2018

Fine! You twisted my arm, here’s Scott’s goal again!

Ian Scott has done it!!! After hitting the scoreboard on Wednesday, Scott adjusts, picks his 7 iron instead and scores the 3-1 goal. Unbelievable @IceScott99 pic.twitter.com/M8to1pq77z

— Jeff D’Andrea (@Jeff_paNOW) November 17, 2018

Did Leason extend his point streak?

Yes.

He assisted on Sapego’s power play goal, giving him at least one point in every game he’s played this season. He now has 18 goals and 42 points in 20 games.

Scoring Summary

First Period

No scoring.

Second Period

No scoring.

Third Period

1-0, Americans, Krystof Hrabik from Parker AuCoin, 1:11

1-1, Raiders, Sergei Sapego from Brett Leason, 5:44

2-1, Raiders, Brayden Pachal from Kody McDonald and Noah Gregor, 7:06

3-1, Raiders, Ian Scott (unassisted, empty net), 19:44

Off to Brandon

After the Raiders’ home contest Friday, the Raiders will crowd the bus and get over to Brandon to face the Wheat Kings Saturday night.

After Saturday, the Raiders will have another three-game week next week. They’ll host the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Tuesday at the Art Hauser Centre, before they head to Alberta to play the Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday and the Kootenay ICE on Saturday.

Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW