Broncos vs Grizzlies

Game one of the 2009 Royal Bank Cup saw the host Victoria Grizzlies taking on the defending RBC champion Humboldt Broncos at the Bear Mountain Arena. The Grizzlies were looking to pull the carpet out from beneath the Broncos while Humboldt was looking to run its Royal Bank Cup tournament winning streak to 4 dating back to last year's tournament.



Victoria carried the play for the first half of the opening frame, outshooting the Broncos 7-3 before Humboldt went to the powerplay when the Grizzlies Jeff Forsythe was sent off for kneeing at 12:29. Just over a minute later Wade Epp took a hooking penalty to give the Broncos a 2 man advantage for 58 seconds. Humboldt could not capitalize on the 5 on 3 however as Grizzlies goalie Anthony Grieco was outstanding, stopping every shot he faced. Victoria killed off the penalties but Humboldt had the momentum which lead to a 3rd consecutive Grizzlies penalty when Dustin Mowrey was called for charging at 17:19 of the first frame. That Broncos powerplay lasted all of 39 seconds however, as big Leo Lacourciere was sent off for hooking. Apart from some nice saves at either end the first period ended deadlocked at zeros.



Both teams came out looking to set the tone for the 2nd period leading to Lacourciere taking his 2nd penalty in a row, this time for roughing. Humboldt's penalty kill succeeded in killing off the 3rd Victoria powerplay with the aid of Broncos netminder Mathieu LaRochelle, who made some great saves. Just over 5 minutes into the period Grizzlies player Justin Courtnall, son of former NHLer Geoff Courtnall, was assessed a 2 minute minor for checking to the head and a 10 minute misconduct. Once again the Broncos powerplay came onto the ice and once again Humboldt took a penalty less then a minute into the man advantage thereby ending the powerplay and giving the fans some 4 on 4 hockey to watch. After the Broncos killed off the shortened Victoria man advantage the play went back to the end to end action leading to numerous grand saves by both LaRochelle and Grieco. The Broncos got into penalty trouble just over midway through the 2nd period however, as both Kyle Cowan and Scott Schroeder were sent off at 13:31 of the second period. The Grizzlies powerplay went to work on the full 2 minute 5 on 3 advantage and at the 15:07 mark of the period Grizzlies captain Brian Nugent put the home team ahead when he outwaited LaRochelle and went top shelf to make it a 1-0 game in favour of the Grizzlies. That was all the scoring in the 2nd period, as the hometown Victoria Grizzlies went into the 2nd intermission with a 1-0 lead over the defending Royal Bank Cup champion Humboldt Broncos. Shots after two periods of play had the Grizzlies leading 25-24.



Humboldt came out for the 3rd period looking to capitalize on the man advantage as Grizzlies big blueliner Lee Baldwin ws sent off for tripping with a minute remaining in the previous period. Try as they might the usually electric Broncos powerplay could not solve the wall known as Anthony Grieco as the Grizzlies killed off the 5th Broncos powerplay of the game. Humboldt would not go away though as under a minute after Baldwins penalty ended the Broncos tied the game when the youngster Spencer Braaten jammed the puck past Grieco to knot the game at 1. Nick Keller picked up the assist on Braaten's first of the tournament. This seemed to rattle the hometown Grizzlies somewhat as Teal Burns, the youngest player on either team, was sent off for hooking at the 4:07 mark of the 3rd period. Midway through the penalty the Grizzlies took another penalty as Grizzlies coach Geoff Courtnall (1465 penalty minutes in the NHL) was assessed a 2 minute bench minor which was served by Dustin Mowrey giving the Broncos their 3rd two man advantage of the game which Steven Schroeder promptly ended when he was called for a tripping penalty. After Schroeder was released from the sinbin the game returned to its high paced end to end action with both goalies once again standing tall in net. Grizzlies captain Brian Nugent put his team in serious trouble when he was sent off at the 16:59 mark of the third period, but as always Grieco and the Grizzlie penalty kill stood strong, killing off the 8th Broncos man advantage of the game. With 55 seconds remaining in the game it looked as if the Broncos took the lead but referee Nathan Wieler waved the goal off saying it had gone in off of a high stick. With just 31 seconds remaining in the 3rd period former Battlefords Star Nick Kalnicki was issued a 2 minute minor for tripping, making it seem as if the Broncos and the Grizzlies would be heading into overtime, assuming Victoria did not score on their final man advantage of regulation. That was not the case however, as the "Cardiac Kids" as Broncos play by play man Darryl Skender calls them decided to end the game then and there, when Scott Schroeder stole the puck from a Victoria player and went in, shorthanded, on a breakaway to beat Grieco and give the Broncos their first lead of the game with only 1.1 seconds remaining.

After a very exciting game the Humboldt Broncos win, defeating the host Victoria Grizzlies by a score of 2-1. Players of the game were the goalies, Mathieu LaRochelle for Humboldt and Anthony Grieco for Victoria.

The next action for Victoria is tomorrow at 8:00pm Saskatchewan time as they take on the Kingston Voyageurs. Humboldt's next game is Monday, May 4th at 8:00pm Sask time when they take on the Pacific representative Vernon Vipers in what should be a highly skilled game.