By Cami Kepke via Westerhn Hockey League

RED DEER, Alta. - Victoria Royals prospect Jacob Schwartz netted a hat trick and Prince Albert Raiders pick Brock Cripps tacked on four assists as British Columbia downed Saskatchewan 6-3 to remain undefeated at the 2024 WHL Cup.

Alexander Laing (Tri-City Americans / Langley, B.C.) and Eddy Spytz (Everett Silvertips / Victoria, B.C.) each buried a goal and two assists while Kayden Stroeder (Edmonton Oil Kings / Lanigan, Sask.) had three assists for Saskatchewan in a near-comeback effort.

• GAME SUMMARY
• PLAYER STATS
• TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

British Columbia came alive midway through the first period, hemming Saskatchewan in its on zone while getting fresh legs on the ice. Brock Cripps (Prince Albert Raiders / Victoria, B.C.) fed Carter Bylycia (Tri-City Americans / Kamloops, B.C.) for a long shot on net, and Jacob Schwartz (Victoria Royals / Vancouver, B.C) connected with a long rebound to find twine with his third goal of the tournament.

Less than a minute later, Cripps fed alternate captain Laing with a long breakout pass to break into the Saskatchewan zone, avoid a defender’s poke check, and quickly double the lead with a five-hole shot.

Saskatchewan slashed the deficit on a late-period powerplay, with a Kayden Stroeder point bomb going wide and whipping around the boards for Blake Chorney (Vancouver Giants / Nipawin, Sask.), who walked in for an electric far-side snipe.

The alternate captains combined again to put the game back on even ground as Stroeder- Saskatchewan’s Player of the Game in their opening tilt against Alberta- won the puck off a faceoff and poked it toward Chorney to beat the unscreened netminder.

An early second-period powerplay gave British Columbia all the ammunition it needed to restore its lead.

Cripps wheeled around the opposing zone before dropping the puck to Eddy Spytz for a long wrist shot and his second goal of the event. Laing also earned a secondary assist on the play.

British Columbia piled on the pressure with several board battle wins to keep the puck in the Saskatchewan zone, and five minutes into the middle frame, Jack Morgan (Kelowna Rockets / Langley, B.C.) buried a big rebound off of another Laing shot to make it 4-2.

The boys in green in white would draw within one again midway through the third period as Dade Wotherspoon (Prince George Cougars / Martensville, Sask.) spun and ripped a shot glove side on the powerplay, but Schwartz put the game out of reach with his second goal of the night, a seeing-eye powerplay shot from above the faceoff dot.

Schwartz, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 WHL Prospects Draft, capped off the hat trick with an empty-net goal to seal a 6-3 victory for British Columbia.

With four assists, 2024 second-overall pick Brock Cripps earned Player of the Game honours for Team B.C., while Chorney was recognized for Saskatchewan.

In net, Oscar Hicik (Portland Winterhawks / New Westminster, B.C.) saved 33 of 36 shots, while Cade Mitchell (Moose Jaw Warriors / Gull Lake, Sask.) stopped 26 of 31.

Saskatchewan (1-1) now faces a quick turnaround as it closes out round-robin action against Manitoba (0-1) on Friday, October 25 at 10:30 a.m. MST.

British Columbia (2-0) will clash with Alberta (0-1) at 1:15 p.m. MST to determine weekend playoff seeding.