Jermaine Loewen scored both the Blazers goals as the Blazers won in thrilling fashion 3-2 in a shootout over the Victoria Royals.
Loewen tied the game with 45 seconds left in the third period.
Connor Zary and Zane Franklin both scored shootout goals and Dylan Ferguson stopped 33 shots and two shooters in the shootout for the win.
Scoring:
Royals – Scott Walford 1g-1a, Ralph Jarratt 1g-0a, Dino Kambeitz 0g-1a, Igor Martynov 0g-1a, Kody McDonald 0g-1a.
Blazing Ahead: With two points (1g-1a) tonight, Royals’ defenceman Scott Walford now leads the team in scoring against the Blazers this season. In seven games against Kamloops he has recorded two goals and six assists.
Eight-Year Streak: Tonight’s shootout loss to the Blazers was the Royals’ first defeat to Kamloops, after playing in Kelowna in the previous contest, since December 3, 2011.
Shootouts: Tonight’s defeat marked the first time the Royals have fallen in a shootout this season. The first two shootouts came on September 21, 2018 against the Prince George Cougars, and January 5, 2019 when the club visited the Red Deer Rebels.
Home Grown Talent: Victoria native Ethan Brandwood made his second WHL appearance for the Blazers, and his first against Victoria. The 2002-born defenceman was drafted in the seventh round, 146th overall, by Kamloops in the 2017 WHL Bantam Draft. Brandwood played Minor hockey for the South Island Royals and Saanich Braves. Kamloops also boasts a pair of other Victoria natives in defenceman Sean Strange and goaltender Dylan Garand.