
Shea Van Olm celebrates his goal against the Calgary Hitmen on Jan. 5, 2024. (Photo via Allen Douglas)
Kamloops native Tyson Galloway scored his first WHL goal at Sandman Centre as the Calgary Hitmen outworked the Kamloops Blazers 6-2 Friday night.
It was the second time that Galloway has played in front of friends and family in Kamloops, having done so as a 17-year-old during the 2019-20 season, before the COVID-19 shutdown.
“Yeah, its going to special,” the now 20-year-old Galloway, who was named Hitmen captain in September said pre-game. “Going to have lots of family and friends here tonight.”
“I’m just going to try to treat it like any other game, but yeah, like I said, its going be a special night.”
The Blazers led 1-0 after the first period thanks to Shea Van Olm. The veteran forward tapped in a puck from the side off the net, taking over from Kamloops native Jordan Keller who was credited with the primary assist.
SNEAKY OLMER
pic.twitter.com/yEbgCdVNA7
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) January 6, 2024
Ben Kindel and Kai Matthew traded goals in the second, before the Hitmen took control and scored five unanswered to pick up their only win on the five-game B.C. Division road trip.
COBRA KAI STRIKES!
pic.twitter.com/53CHJDCLmQ
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) January 6, 2024
Goals from Sean Tschigerl and Maxim Muranov put Calgary up 3-2 after two periods, before a shorthanded marker from Tschigerl 17 seconds into the third all but ended the game in Calgary’s favour.
Galloway from long range and Carson Wetsch added two more goals to round out the scoring Friday night.
The hometown kid fires one home from long-range!@WHLHitmen pic.twitter.com/UyGVkEaQgC
— The WHL (@TheWHL) January 6, 2024
Seventeen year old Jesse Sanche – the only goalie dressed by the Blazers as veteran Dylan Ernst was out with an illness – made 36 saves on 42 shots in a losing effort. The Blazers, who have lost four in a row, sit in last place in the WHL with a 9-24-3-2 record, good for 23 points from 38 games.
Ethan Buenaventura stopped 27 of 29 shots to pick up the win for the Hitmen who are ninth in the Eastern Conference with a 14-17-5-1 record, giving them 34 points from 37 games.
Next up for the Blazers is a home game against the Everett Silvertips next Friday, Jan. 12. They’ll play the next six games after that on the road, before returning home to face the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday, Jan. 27.