The Regina Pats bounced back on Saturday night, earning a 4-2 victory over the Swift Current Broncos at InnovationPlex.
Four different goal scorers powered the Blue Brigade, as Keets Fawcett, Ellis Mieyette, Zachary Lansard, and Julien Maze each found the back of the net. Goaltender Marek Schlenker was sharp between the pipes, stopping 30 of 32 shots for his first win of the season.
The Broncos opened the scoring just 54 seconds in on a power play, when Josh McGregor buried a rebound to make it 1-0. From there, it was all Regina in the first period. Fawcett tied the game at 11:02 with a five-hole blast off a slick no-look feed from Mieyette, who gave the Pats their first lead of the night with his third goal. Just over a minute later, Lansard capitalized on a turnover and finished a highlight-reel move in front to make it 3-1 Regina after one.
Maze extended the Pats’ lead early in the second period, picking the far corner from the right circle for a power-play marker to make it 4-1. The Broncos got one back early in the third when rookie Carter Moen scored his first WHL goal, but Schlenker and the Pats’ defence locked things down.
Both teams finished with 32 shots on goal, while the Pats went 2-for-6 on the power play and held the Broncos to 1-for-5.
With the win, the Pats improve to 1-4-0-0 on the season and avenge their season-opening loss to Swift Current.
FINAL: Regina Pats 4, Swift Current Broncos 2
THE GOALS
First Period
Broncos 1-0 — #5 Josh McGregor (1) scores. Assists: #7 Jace McFaul, #13 Noah Kosick at 0:54 // After Regina took an early penalty, McFaul blasted a one-timer off the end boards in front, where McGregor deposited the puck into the back of the net to open the scoring.
Pats 1-1 — #10 Keets Fawcett (3) scores. Assists: #21 Ellis Mieyette, #19 Maddox Schultz at 11:02 // Mieyette sent a no-look pass to the right circle, where Fawcett fired it through the five-hole of Joey Rocha to tie the game.
Pats 2-1 — #21 Ellis Mieyette (3) scores. Assist: #27 Caden Brown at 17:25 // Brown took the puck to the slot and fired a shot on net that redirected to a wide-open Mieyette, who lifted it into the open cage.
Pats 3-1 — #57 Zachary Lansard (2) scores. Assists: #19 Maddox Schultz, #6 Reese Hamilton at 18:40 // Lansard used his speed to grab a loose puck in the slot and completed a slick move in tight to extend Regina’s lead.
Second Period
Pats 4-1 — #72 Julien Maze (3) scores, unassisted at 3:55 // Left all alone in the right circle, Maze picked the far corner to extend the Pats’ lead with a power-play marker.
Third Period
Broncos 4-2 — #12 Carter Moen (1) scores. Assists: #5 Josh McGregor, #7 Jace McFaul at 6:10 // McGregor sent a pass in front, and Moen lifted the puck over Marek Schlenker’s shoulder for his first WHL goal.
Shots on Goal
Pats: 15 – 10 – 7 — 32
Broncos: 9 – 14 – 9 — 32
Power Plays
Pats: 2/6
Broncos: 1/5
Goaltending
Pats: Marek Schlenker — 30 saves on 32 shots
Broncos: Joey Rocha — 28 saves on 32 shots
JUST NOTES
- Julien Maze scored for a third straight game, setting a new career-high.
- Maddox Schultz tallied a career-high two assists, giving him three assists in his last two games
- Keets Fawcett scored for a second straight contest.
- Ellis Mieyette has goals in three straight games with four points (3G-1A) during that time.
COMING UP
The Regina Pats will return home for back-to-back home games against B.C. Division opponents. On Saturday, October 11, the Blue Brigade will take on the Vancouver Giants. Then, on Monday, October 13, the Pats will host the Kamloops Blazers at 2 p.m.
