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Wheat Kings finish with shootout victory

By: Rob Henderson

Sunday, Mar. 17, 2013 at 2:44 AM | Comments: 0

A winter fraught with frustration ended with the Brandon Wheat Kings mobbing goaltender Corbin Boes in celebration.

Boes made 40 saves in regulation and overtime, then was perfect in a shootout, as the Wheat Kings nipped the Moose Jaw Warriors 2-1 Saturday at Westman Place to wrap up the Western Hockey League season for both clubs.

After falling behind in the third period, Rene Hunter tied the game for Brandon with 2:42 left in regulation and Boes said he had a good feeling going into the shootout.

"I felt really confident," said the 19-year-old veteran, who stopped the Warriors top three goal-scorers — Justin Kirsch, Brayden Point and Sam Fioretti — in the shootout. "I just felt like if there was ever a time to get a shootout win, that was a huge one so it was a really good way to finish off the season."

It was also a great way for Brandon overager Nick Buonassisi to finish off his WHL career. Buonassisi scored the shootout winner as the Wheat Kings concluded their campaign with a 24-40-4-4 record. It's the first time in 13 seasons Brandon has missed the playoffs and the club's worst record in 21 years, but captain Ryan Pulock was proud of his teammates for fighting through to the final buzzer.

"(Friday's 5-2 loss) in Moose Jaw maybe wasn't one of our best games but tonight we came to play," said Pulock, whose team went 3-2-0-2 in the final seven games. "Our last game at home of the year, no playoffs to play for, but our guys stuck with it and battled right to the end."

It took until the 7:28 mark of the third period for the Warriors — who went 25-36-4-6 and finished two spots ahead of the last-place Wheat Kings in the Eastern Conference — to open the scoring as Point collected a rebound and deposited it behind Boes. Brandon appeared dangerously close to suffering its second loss to Moose Jaw in as many nights before Hunter's weak wrister found its way through the five-hole of screened Warriors goalie Justin Paulic, who was otherwise strong in a 26-save outing.

"I didn't really expect it. I was so relieved to see that it went in," Hunter said.

"I felt like we just had to stick with it throughout the game. We were just hoping for something to go in for us and it finally did."

Buonassisi provided the only goal of the shootout. Shooting second for Brandon, he deked to his right and lifted a backhand to the top of the net past Paulic. Boes clinched the win three shooters later when he denied Fioretti's deke.

ONE-TIMERS: The Wheat Kings hadn't won their last game of the season since they concluded the 1991-92 campaign with a 6-5 win over the Regina Pats on March 18, 1992. D Tyler Yaworski, who also played his final WHL game Saturday, is the only current Brandon player who was born yet when that 1992 game was played … Pulock was presented with five trophies, including the most valuable player and top defenceman honours, as the Wheat Kings handed out their awards on Saturday … Attendance was 4,393 … Brandon LW Jesse Gabrielle, a 15-year-old playing his second WHL game, had a third-period fight with Moose Jaw RW Josh Uhrich, 16 … The Wheat Kings scratched C Tyrel Seaman (concussion), C/LW John Quenneville (knee), LW Taylor Cooper (groin) and D Kord Pankewicz … The Wheat Kings will have the third-best opportunity at earning the No.1 pick in Wednesday's WHL bantam draft lottery.

» rhenders@brandonsun.com

AWARD WINNERS:

Meighen Haddad LLP Most Valuable Player — Ryan Pulock

Brad McCrimmon Defenceman of the Year — Pulock

MNP Rookie of the Year — Jayce Hawryluk

Dennis Truscott UCT Most Improved Player — Tim McGauley

Brandon Sun Scoring Champion — McGauley, Pulock (tie)

Shoppers Drug Mart Fan's Choice — Hawryluk

Regent Custom Cresting Art Marshall Top Graduating Player — Tyler Yaworski

Keystone Centre Most Sportsmanlike Player — Chad Robinson

Manitoba Hydro Turk Broda Top Manitoba-born Player — Pulock

Coca-Cola Rob Stouffer Memorial Trophy for Most Inspirational — Pulock

Precision Toyota Unsung Hero Award — Yaworski

McDonald's Frank King Memorial Trophy for Most Community Minded — Jens Meilleur

Canad Inns Hardest Working Player — Jason Swyripa

Manitoba Blue Cross 3 Stars Award — Corbin Boes

Maggie Janz Scholastic Player — Colton Waltz

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