Despite trailing 5-1 entering the third period, the Regina Pats battled back with four goals in the final frame, but their comeback fell just short in a narrow 6-5 loss to the Prince Albert Raiders at the Art Hauser Centre on Friday.
Aidan Oiring put Prince Albert in front just 0:26 into the contest, burying a loose puck during a scramble in the Pats’ crease, with assists coming from Owen Corkish and Brayden Dube. Three minutes later, on the power play, the Raiders executed an effective tic-tac-toe passing play, as Ty Meunier and Brock Cripps connected before Jonah Siverston finished it off to extend the lead to 2-0 at 3:26. Later in the frame, Corkish, Dube, and Oiring connected again, with Oiring tapping home another loose puck in front for his second of the game, making it a 3-0 lead at 11:30.
In the middle frame, it was the Pats who struck first. Taking advantage of the power play, Ellis Mieyette fed Ruslan Karimov, who threw the puck out in front to Keets Fawcett. The 19-year-old made no mistake, beating Raiders’ Dimitri Fortin to make it a 3-1 game at 6:22 with Karimov picking up his first career WHL point on the play. However, shortly thereafter, the Raiders would respond with a goal of their own. With Oiring winning an offensive zone draw, the puck landed on the stick of Corkish, who wired a wrist shot past Marek Schlenker to reinstate a three-goal advantage for Prince Albert at the 8:08 mark. Still applying pressure just over midway into the second period, Riley Boychuk and Alisher Sarkenov set up Evan Smith, who let go of a wrist shot from the top of the right circle, beating Schlenker for his third goal of the season, extending the lead to 5-1 at 10:35. Following the goal, Taylor Tabashniuk would enter the game, taking over the crease for the Pats.
Despite starting the third on the penalty kill, the Pats gained some early momentum as Jace Egland forced a turnover at center ice and ripped a hard wrister over the glove of Fortin shorthanded for his first goal of the 2025-26 season at 0:18 — kick-starting a four-goal period for Regina. Less than six minutes later, Sarkenov came away with the puck below the Pats’ goal line and fed Smith in front, who buried his second of the game to put the Raiders up 6-2 at 6:04. However, it was all Pats the rest of the way. Captain Ephram McNutt received a sharp cross-ice pass from Julien Maze before scoring his first of the season on the man advantage, trimming Prince Albert’s lead to three at 12:50. Just over two minutes later, the rally continued as Mathis Paull got on the board with his first career WHL goal, redirecting a Kolten Bridgeman pass in front at 14:58. Then with a little over two minutes remaining, Maze and Bridgeman each picked up an assist on Fawcett’s second goal, cleaning up a rebound in front to make it a one-goal deficit.
That would be as close as Regina would come; however, they pressed hard in the final minutes with a late power play, but ultimately came up just short on the road in Prince Albert. Schlenker turned aside 19 of 24 shots before being relieved by Tabashniuk, who went on to make 14 saves on 15 shots. On the other side of the ice, Dimitri Fortin made 26 saves on 31 shots for the Raiders, with the final shots on goal being 39-31 in favour of Prince Albert. On special teams, the Pats went 2-for-5 on the power play, while the Raiders were 1-for-3.
Two Pats registered their first career WHL points (Karimov 1A, Paull – 1G) while four different skaters found the back of the net and eight players recorded points for Regina. From a scoring standpoint, Fawcett now leads the Blue Brigade in the goals category with five.
The next meeting between the two teams is on December 17 at the Brandt Centre.
FINAL: Prince Albert Raiders 6, Regina Pats 5
THE GOALS
First Period
Raiders 1-0 —#19 Aidan Oiring (4), assisted by #32 Owen Corkish & #15 Brayden Dube at 0:26
After the puck popped out in front, Corkish and Dube jammed away at it in the Pats’ crease before Oiring buried it to open the scoring for the Raiders.
Raiders 2-0 —#28 Jonah Sivertson (3), assisted by #25 Ty Meunier & #12 Brock Cripps at 3:26 (PP)
With the puck on the half wall, Cripps found Meunier at the Pats’ blue line before firing a quick pass to Siverston, who tucked it past Schlenker on the power-play to double the Raiders’ lead.
Raiders 3-0 —#19 Aidan Oiring (5), assisted by #15 Brayden Dube & #32 Owen Corkish at 11:30
Much like his first goal of the game, Oiring capitalized on a loose puck in front, burying it through traffic after a wraparound attempt by Dube and a setup from Corkish to help extend Prince Albert’s lead to 3-0.
Second Period
Pats 3-1 — #10 Keets Fawcett (4), assisted by #25 Ruslan Karimov & #21 Ellis Mieyette at 6:22 (PP)
Mieyette shuffled a pass behind the Raiders’ net to Karimov, who found Fawcett in front; he took a hit to make the play and buried his fourth of the season on the power play at 6:22, cutting into Prince Albert’s lead. The assist marked Karimov’s first career WHL point.
Raiders 4-1 — #32 Owen Corkish (4), assisted by #19 Aiden Oiring at 8:08
Corkish snapped a wrist shot past Schlenker after an offensive zone face-off win from Oiring, restoring a three-goal Raiders lead at 8:08.
Raiders 5-1 — #21 Evan Smith (3), assisted by #23 Riley Boychuk & #24 Alisher Sarkenov at 10:35
Sarkenov dug the puck out of the corner and fed Boychuk, who quickly set up Smith for a one-timer from the top of the right circle, extending the lead to 5-1 at 10:35.
Third Period
Pats 5-2 — #24 Jace Egland (1) (unassisted, short-handed at 0:18)
Opening the period on the penalty kill, Egland stole the puck at centre ice and capitalized on a breakaway opportunity, snapping a wrist shot into the top right corner and cutting the deficit to three at 0:18.
Raiders 6-2 — #21 Evan Smith (4), assisted by #24 Alisher Sarkenov at 6:04
After winning a puck battle below the Pats’ goal line, Sarkenov set up Smith for his second of the game, extending the lead to 6-2 at 6:04.
Pats 6-3 — #55 Ephram McNutt (1), assisted by #72 Julien Maze at 12:50 (PP)
Pressing on the man advantage, Maze settled the puck in the offensive zone before sending a cross-ice feed to McNutt, who walked in and buried his first of the season to make it 6-3 at 12:50.
Pats 6-4 — #32 Mathis Paull (1), assisted by #4 Kolten Bridgeman at 14:58
Off the draw, Bridgeman carried the puck down the right wall in the Raiders’ zone and zipped a pass onto the stick of Paull, who tipped it over Fortin’s blocker to bring the Pats within two at 14:58.
Pats 6-5 — #10 Keets Fawcett (5), assisted by #4 Kolten Bridgeman & #72 Julien Maze at 17:39
Maze sent the puck back to Bridgeman at the point, and his shot created a rebound that Fawcett buried for his second of the night, making it a one-goal game at 17:39.
Shots on Goal
· Pats: 6 – 12 – 13 — 31
· Raiders: 17 – 11 – 11 — 39
Power Plays
· Pats: 2/5
· Raiders: 1/3
Goaltending
· Pats: Marek Schlenker — 19 saves on 24 shots, Taylor Tabashniuk — 14 saves on 15 shots
· Raiders: Dimitri Fortin — 26 saves on 31 shots
Three Stars
· First Star: #21 Evan Smith (2G)
· Second Star: #24 Alisher Sarkenov (2A)
· Third Star: #10 Keets Fawcett (2G)
COMING UP
The Pats kick off a two-game homestand beginning on Saturday, October 18, at 6:00 p.m. against the Brandon Wheat Kings. Regina will then host the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday, October 22, with puck drop set for 7:00 p.m.
