Raiders forward Zachary Wilson buries the first of what proves to be two goals on the day for him in a 6-3 win over the Saskatoon Blades in Big River First Nation. (Submitted Photo/Mark Peterson Media)

By Rob Mahon

Raiders Exhibition Opener

Seeing double: three Raiders strike twice in double-up win over Blades

Sep 7, 2022 | 9:44 AM

Although nobody will take any points in the standings from the Prince Albert Raiders’ first exhibition game against the Saskatoon Blades, several Raiders earned themselves some points from their coaches.

Jessiah Bennet, Ryder Ritchie, and Zachary Wilson all scored two goals each, while Hayden Pakkala turned in a pair of assists in a 6-3 Raider win. Cooper Anderson and Max Hildebrand split the duties in net. The Raiders held the Blades to just 14 shots on goal, while piling up 28 of their own.

“I really liked our effort,” said Raiders head coach Jeff Truitt. “There was a lot of energy, a lot of positivity out there. Sometimes there were mistakes made, but I thought our guys really played hard at both ends of the ice. Some good individual efforts out there tonight, and I really liked our work ethic.”

One of those individual performances came from Bennet. The veteran of 42 WHL games with the Brandon Wheat Kings was one of the more experienced players on the ice and showed it with a multi-point effort, including the opening goal just 1:06 into the game.

“I was excited to get it started for the boys and just happy to be out there and back on the ice,” Bennet said with a wide grin.

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The teams traded goals back and forth through the next two periods. Fraser Leonard knotted the score for Saskatoon at one end, Ritchie rifled a backhander home at the other. Leonard tied the score again before the Raiders got their lead back with a power play goal from Wilson. Then the Blades, on a 5-on-3 advantage, tied it up once more.

Not once in the game did the Raiders trail, and were able to really separate themselves in the third period from the Blades. Bennet got it started, tipping home a point shot from Justice Christensen. Ritchie kept it going, banking in a clever shot from a tough angle. Wilson put the icing on the cake with a sensational end-to-end rush, including a one-handed dangle around a defenseman.

“I thought they got better,” said Truitt. “I thought we commanded the puck, we controlled the play. When Saskatoon came into our zone we kind of ran around a little bit, but I thought our team did a really good job in the third period. There was lots of energy, we came to work.”

After a couple of days off, the Raiders will have their first preseason game at home against the Regina Pats this Friday, Sept. 9. Puck drop is 7 p.m.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP