Sanche earns first WHL win as Blazers come back, hold off Royals in Victoria

Blazers earn comeback win

Photo: Kevin Light/Victoria Royals

The Kamloops Blazers scored twice in the final 10 minutes Wednesday in the provincial capital to earn a 3-2 win over the Victoria Royals.

Ashton Ferster, Conner Radke and Ryan Michael were the goal scorers for the Blazers. Robin Sapousek and Cole Reschny scored for the Royals.

The teams traded goals late in the first period before Reschny put Victoria up 2-1 midway through the third. But the Blazers answered back — first Radke at 11:19 and then Michael with the game-winner at 16:28.

Jesse Sanche stopped 29 of 31 Victoria shots to earn the victory in net — the Kelowna product's first win in the WHL. Braden Holt made 24 saves on 27 Kamloops shots in a losing effort.

Both teams were scoreless on the power play — the Blazers on one chance and the Royals on three.

Announced attendance at Save-On Foods Memorial Arena was 2,980.

With the win, the Blazers improve to 7-14-3-2 on the season, still last in the WHL’s Western Conference. The loss moves the Royals to 14-11-0-2 — six points behind the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars.

The Blazers and Royals will head to Kamloops for games at Sandman Centre on Friday and Sunday — the Blazers’ final home dates before Christmas.

After that, the club will hit the road for a five-game, eight-day road trip to Saskatchewan and Manitoba.