The Prince Albert Raiders encountered their first regulation loss of the season, falling 6-2 to the Tri-City Americans during their annual matchup in Kennewick. The Raiders had maintained an undefeated streak through their first 15 games but struggled to keep pace with the speed of the Americans.
The game began with the Americans striking first at 5:52 when Crew Martinson”s shot deflected off the pad of Dimitri Fortin, allowing Mason Mykichuk to score on the rebound. The Raiders quickly found their rhythm, leading to a competitive exchange of chances throughout the first period. At 18:41, the Raiders equalized when Justice Christensen carried the puck over center and fed it to Riley Boychuk. Boychuk executed a toe drag around a defender before firing for his third goal of the season, making it 1-1.
After the first period, the score stood at Raiders 1, Americans 1, with both teams registering 11 shots on goal.
In the second period, the Raiders took the lead at 9:12 during a line change. Daxon Rudolph found Jonah Sivertson at the left wall, who then passed to Justice Christensen on the right. Christensen capitalized, scoring his fourth goal of the season to put the Raiders ahead. However, just 29 seconds later, the Americans responded with Jake Gudelj”s shot finding its way to Cash Koch, who tied the game again.
The Raiders faced difficulties as they entered penalty trouble. The Americans capitalized on a power play at 10:44 with Jakub Vanecek scoring from the middle of the blueline. Things worsened for the Raiders when they found themselves down 5-on-3, allowing Savin Virk to score on a one-timer from the goal line at 15:20. As the second period concluded, the score was Raiders 2, Americans 4, with the Raiders having outshot the Americans 21-20 overall.
In the third period, the Americans utilized their speed effectively, keeping the Raiders confined in their own zone for significant stretches. At 13:21, during another power play, a pileup in front of the net left Fortin overwhelmed, and Gavin Garland seized the opportunity to score. With 2:39 remaining, the Raiders pulled Fortin for an extra attacker but were unable to capitalize. Instead, Cruz Pavao secured the win for the Americans by scoring into the empty net at 17:21.
The final score read Raiders 2, Americans 6, with the Americans outshooting the Raiders 32-29 overall.
Next, the Raiders will have a brief respite before traveling to Seattle, where they will prepare for a match against the Everett Silvertips, one of the league”s top teams by points percentage, followed by a contest against the Portland Winterhawks.
