The RDC Kings picked up a hard-earned victory in their home opener at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.
It was a sloppy contest to kick off the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Men’s Hockey season, but the Kings ground out a 6-2 win over the NAIT Ooks Friday night.
Rookie forward Ross Heidt notched his first ACAC goal in the opening frame with a laser of a wrist shot, just after captain Tanner Butler opened the scoring for RDC.
Kings head coach Trevor Keeper said he noticed the jitters from his group start to settle after his captain opened the scoring.
“I think the guys were a little bit nervous. It’s alumni night, parent and family night. There were lots of people here. You talk to them about just focusing on what’s inside the glass. But they were a bit nervous and the puck was bouncing a bit,” Keeper said.
“Tanner Butler comes up as our captain and scores the first goal, I could see it on the bench, guys were relaxing a bit. Play Kings hockey and keep coming at them one shift at a time.”
Six different players found the scoresheet for the Kings and Ty Mappin had one assist to pick up player of the game honours.
“He thinks on another level,” Keeper said of Mappin.
“He’s got really high hockey sense. He distributed the puck and he is so accurate with it because he doesn’t panic. As a defender, a lot of times they don’t know which way he’s going to go.”
Lynnden Pastachak tipped home a Jantzen Leslie point shot on the power play with just 31 seconds left in the first to give RDC a 3-1 lead.
NAIT managed to cut the deficit to a goal 61 seconds into the second. Only a minute later, fourth-year Kings defenceman Dylan Baer went top shelf on Ooks goalie Brenden Jansen to restore the two-goal lead.
Second-year defender Tyler Podgorenko added a late third-period power play goal and Kyle Salaway notched an empty-net goal to seal the win.
Rookie forward Chance Longjohn made an impact in the win as well with his penalty killing ability.
“He’s very strong, he can pursue the puck, he can stick check and angle. He’s got a very high hockey IQ,” Keeper said.
“The thing with our team right now, it’s a culmination of the last five or six years of building the program. We have players in slots that use it to the best of their ability. We have penalty kill and power play guys and everybody has a role and they take pride in it.”
Kings netminder Troy Trombley was also solid in the win with 21 saves.
The two teams will close out the weekend on the back half of the home-and-home in Edmonton Saturday night.
The Queens also started the ACAC regular season with a win Friday. They came from behind to sneak out a 2-1 victory on the road against the Ooks.
Jordan McMillan scored shorthanded for NAIT early in the second.
In the third, Kaely McMurtry scored her first of two on the night on the power play. She added her second with just 1:36 to play in the game. Veronika Bucifalova added two assists in the win. Karlee Fetch stopped 24 shots in the win for RDC.
The Queens are on home ice for the first time in the regular season Saturday at the new Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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