Blue/White Game

Courtesy Daniel Fink:

For Immediate Release
September 3, 2012

Blue and White Game Recap
Team Blue Takes Annual Showdown

Regina, Saskatchewan – The annual Regina Pats Blue and White game started out as a defensive struggle before a third period explosion led to Team Blue taking a 4-3 shootout victory Monday afternoon.

The first period saw two young goaltenders going head to head in Team Blue’s Tanner Burgardt and Team White’s Patrick Gora.  Though one puck managed to find the back of the net in the opening frame it was waved off due to a quick whistle and both squads made it to the first intermission tied at zero.

The scoreless deadlock continued through the second period as the Blue and White defenses put a lock down on opposing forwards.  Team White came the closest to breaking the ice when Lane Scheidl drove a shot off the post.

Team Blue finally lit the lamp early in the third period with Chandler Stephenson snapping the puck top shelf.  The lead wouldn’t last long as Lane Scheidl evened it right back up with a marker of his own at the other end.  The third period flurry continued as Colton Jobke scored on a long shot that snuck by Adam Beukeboom on the powerplay.  Right back the other way, Morgan Klimchuk responded with a gorgeous marker.  The scoring continued as Blue jumped back into the lead on the strength of a tally from defenceman Erik Donald.  Once again, the lead wouldn’t stand up as Scheidl pulled a great power move down low to tie the score at three midway through the final frame and send the contest to OT.

Overtime solved nothing so the game went into a shootout where Team White got goals from Liam Finlay and Scheidl.  Team Blue got markers from Morgan Klimchuk, Chandler Stephenson and Tanner Olstad ended things with a wrister to the top shelf.

“It gave us a good opportunity to see where guys are starting to fit in,” says GM Chad Lang.  “I thought as the game went on the tempo and the pace picked up and it made it exciting in the third when goals started going in and into the shootout.  We feel we got a good read in the past four days, now we’ll get down in numbers in preparation for Thursday’s game” {Audio Attached}

The Pats open the WHL Pre-Season at home, Thursday night, hosting the Brandon Wheat Kings at the Cooperators Centre.  Puck drop is seven o’clock.