Two East Division rivals wrapped up Western Hockey League pre-season with a home-an-home series and both games needed extra time to decide the winner.
Friday, September 13: Blades @ Raiders
The first game took place on Friday as the Raiders hosted the Blades in Prince Albert. Both teams exchanged goals in the first. Rowan Calvert opened the scoring for the Blades, but Daxon Rudolph responded for the Raiders to tie it at one after one.
In the second, just one goal was scored and that was by Ben Riche of the Blades, as the visitors led it 2-1 after two.
In the third, the scorekeepers were busy.
William James scored less than two minutes into the final frame to give the visitors a 3-1-lead, but the Raiders responded.
Jonah Sivertson scored his fourth goal of the pre-season to make it 3-2, followed by his teammate Ryan Gower lighting the lamp to tie it at three.
With 1:26 remaining, Calvert nets his second of the game for the Blades, this one on the power play to make it 4-3, but the Raiders would not go quietly.
Aiden Oiring gets his first of the preseason with 34 seconds remaining to tie it at four and send it into extra time.
Overtime solved nothing, so we head to a shoot out where Riley Boychuk of the Raiders sends them home happy with a 5-4 overtime victory at the Art Hauser Centre.
Saturday, September 14: Raiders @ Blades
In the rematch on Saturday night, its the Raiders that jumped out to the early lead. Ty Meunier gets his second of the pre-season, and the aforementioned Jonah Sivertson gets his 5th to make it 2-0 Raiders after the opening 20.
In the second its the Blades that own the score sheet. Brayden Klimpke and Ben Saunderson get their first goals of the pre-season to tie this game at two after two.
With just over two minutes remaining in the third, Luke Moroz scored to give the lead back to the Raiders, but with 18 seconds left in the game Hudson Kibblewhite scored for the Blades to tie the game at three and send it once again to overtime, but on this night they didn't need a shootout. Ben Riche scored for the home team to once again send them home happy, this time in Saskatoon, with a 4-3 overtime victory.
The Blades played five pre-season games with a record of one win, three losses and a shootout loss. The Raiders also played five pre-season games, finishing with three wins, one loss and an overtime loss.
Both teams start their regular seasons on Friday, September 20. The Blades hit the road with a game against the Broncos in Swift Current. The Raiders play host to the Regina Pats, a game you can listen to live on 620 CKRM. Puck drop for both games is 7 p.m.
