Trailing 3–1, the Regina River Rats scored five unanswered goals in the third period to beat the Wolseley Mustangs 6–3 in Friday night’s exhibition game at the Grenfell Recreational Park Arena.
The first two periods were a grind. It was the first game this group has played together — eleven of the twenty-four players are rookies — and for two periods the Rats were still finding their bearings. Wolseley opened the scoring in the first. Austin Enright tied it in the second, set up by Paxton Church, but the Mustangs scored twice more to take a 3–1 lead.
Then the third period happened. Blake Klemp pulled the Rats within one with 15:11 left on the clock, and twenty seconds later Jayce Skrypnyk tied it. Dylan Formo put Regina ahead for good with 11:03 to play, Skrypnyk added his second of the night with 9:11 left, and Enright closed it out with his second at 6:19.
By the end of the third the Rats were playing a physical, offence-heavy game, and Wolseley never found a way back into it. The Mustangs did not score again after going up 3–1.
Rat of the Game went to Jayce Skrypnyk, who finished with two goals and an assist. He had plenty of company on the scoresheet: Formo and Enright also had three points each, Klemp had a goal and an assist, and Church and Sawyer Goertzen picked up assists.
The result does not count in the standings, but it is not a bad way to start. The regular season opens at home: the River Rats host the Davidson Cyclones on Saturday, October 31 at 7:45 PM at Doug Wickenheiser Arena.