Team White earns narrow victory over Team Green in Raiders camp finale

“The game today was getting our veteran players in to make it as competitive as possible, but also allow our younger players who are going to play tomorrow an opportunity to have a bit of a lighter skate in a practice setting and then go into Saskatoon ready for that game. That is an afternoon game as well too, so again, really like the makeup, love the intensity out there, and love the compete.”

The Raiders will bring a young guns squad down to Saskatoon for the first preseason game of the year.

Game Recap:

It took a while to get the scoring started, but at the 15:29 mark, Team White struck first. Returning Raiders forward Brandon Gorzynski skated the puck out of his own zone on the left wall, curled inside the blueline, then tried to send a pass back for a trailer. The puck bounced around a few skates, but former Mintos captain Liam Myhre followed up the play and one-timed the puck into the back of the net.

Then at 19:30, another returning Raider Owen Corkish went to work on the forecheck behind the opposing net and freed the puck for Gorzynski who was still below the goal line. Gorzynski found a passing lane to the slot for former Portland Winterhawk, and one of the players fighting for the open 20-year-old spot Carsyn Dyck, who rifled a wrist shot home for Team White.

After 1: White 2 – 0 Green, shots 18-6 White

To start the second period, Team White dumped the puck in and Team Green goaltender Steele Bass came out of his net to play it. It took a funny hop off his skates, and Corkish quickly buried the loose puck to extend the Team White lead just 11 seconds into the period.

Then at 4:27, Team White got another goal from Junior A camp invitee Max Malinousky, who brought the puck in down the right wall. He got to the goal line and flipped a backhand on net that snuck through and put Team White up 4-0 on an unassisted effort.

Then the Team Green comeback started. At 6:47, Team Green was cycling the puck in the offensive zone when returning Raider Alisher Sarkenov managed to fire the puck on goal from the high slot, and another returnee to the team Riley Boychuk tipped it in from the top of the crease.

Ten seconds later, Boychuk scored again. After Team Green dumped the puck in, Ben Harvey collected the puck on the right wall, centred it for Boychuk in the slot, and he put his wrist shot home for his second of the game and to bring Team Green back within two.

At the 11:24 mark, Team White had a two-goal scorer of their own. Returning Raider Jonah Sivertson got an assist on the play when he fed the puck to Myhre in the middle of the blueline. Myhre sent the puck right to Malaki Martin, and Martin tried to give it right back on a give-and-go play, but Myhre had to fight through a check from Sarkenov. Myhre stayed strong and fought through the check into the slot, then fired a wrist shot for his second of the game.

Less than a minute later, and Team Green got it back. Brock Cripps worked the puck to the right side of the blue line for American camp invitee Tyler McCracken, and he sent a great pass to the back door for Alisher Sarkenov to tip in at the 12:04 mark.

After 2: White 5 – 3 Green, shots 14-10 Green, 28-20 White overall

Team Green needed a spark early, and they got one at the 7:14 mark. With Team White on the powerplay, Team Green was the one who got on the offence when Evan Smith stepped up into the play and stole a pass inside the Team White zone. Smith turned, got his head up, and found Hubert Clarke streaking in for a onetimer, and Clarke scored to bring Team Green back to within one with a shorthanded goal.

Team White got their game winner though at the 10:19 mark. Brandon Gorznyski picked up his third assist of the game when he entered the zone down the right wall on the rush, then stopped just inside the blueline when he fed a pass to the middle for SJHL camp invitee Pherson Loehndorf. The Warman Wolverines defenceman skated to the slot, then let loose a wrist shot into the back of the net.

The Green Team got one final mark on the scoresheet at 10:56 when Riley Boychuk entered the zone on the rush down the right side, sent a pass to the middle for Ben Harvey, and Harvey sent a quick wrist shot on to make it a one-goal game once again.

In the final moments of the game, Team Green had their goaltender pulled, and they’d pour on the offence, but Team White held on until the final buzzer.

FINAL: White 6 – 5 Green, shots 15-7 Green, 37-35 Green overall

Team Green and Team White pose together for a photo after the annual intersquad game that finishes camp. (Image Credit: Mark Peterson/Prince Albert Raiders)

The Raiders will now make some cuts, and then get set for their preseason schedule starting with a young guns game against the Saskatoon Blades at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

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nick.nielsen@pattisonmedia.com

by Nick Nielsen

Team White earns narrow victory over Team Green in Raiders camp finale

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