Ozzy Wiesblatt, Adam McNutt, and Reece Vitelli battle for a puck along the boards against the Brandon Wheat Kings. (Submitted photo/Justin Oertel, Brandon Wheat Kings)

By Rob Mahon

Raiders Fall In Brandon

Better effort, same result for Raiders against Wheat Kings

Oct 9, 2021 | 9:23 AM

So far, the Prince Albert Raiders have emphasized improvement in their young players, many of whom are in their first season of WHL hockey. While improvements in some young players were evident tonight, the result was unfortunately familiar against the Brandon Wheat Kings.

Ridly Greig and Ben Thornton scored twice each and Riley Ginnell added another as the Wheat Kings downed the Raiders 5-2. Terrell Goldsmith and Reece Vitelli scored for the Raiders who got 23 saves from Carter Serhyenko.

The opening goal came off the kind of play that only happens when you know your home rink like the back of your hand. The Wheat Kings dumped the puck down the ice and Thornton sped after it, taking the bounce off the end boards and beating out what would’ve been an icing before snapping one past Serhyenko.

Just 17 seconds later, the Raiders answered. Off the cycle, Goldsmith took the puck at the left point and sent a shot with more accuracy than velocity through the screen of Niall Crocker to tie the game.

Before the period was out, however Brandon had their lead back when Serhyenko turned the puck over to Nolan Ritchie below the goal line. He fed it out into the slot for Greig who snapped it home.

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Despite a push from the Raiders to start the second, Brandon had control by the end of the period. First, Ginnell snuck in behind coverage following some quick puck movement and picked a corner to make it 3-1. Then, on a late power play after the Raiders failed to cash on four minutes of man advantage time of their own, Greig walked along the circles and lifted home his second.

Again the Raiders fought back, with Vitelli getting the puck at the bottom of the right circle off some good cycle work and rifling home his second in as many games. Buoyed by the goal, they tightened up the shot clock and continued to press But another awkward play below the goal line saw the puck bounce out front off the glass for Thornton, who tapped in his second.

The loss drops the Raiders to 0-3 on the campaign. Their quest for their first victory continues tomorrow night in Winnipeg when they face the ICE. Puck drops at 7:00 local time, 6:00 Saskatchewan time on 900 CKBI.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP