U18 AAA WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Wheaties fall to Thrashers in shootout

BOYS

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

The fourth-place Wheat Kings (26-6-0-2) hit the road to meet the third-place Winnipeg Thrashers (27-7-2-0) and then had their game against the fifth-place Eastman Selects (24-9-1-1) postponed in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League over the weekend.

On Sunday, the scheduled game at Steinbach’s Southeast Event Centre was postponed.

On Saturday at Winnipeg’s Seven Oaks Community Centre, Thrashers forward Carter Polanski and Wheat Kings forward Reid Nicol traded power-play goals in the first half of the game, and after overtime solved nothing, Russell Aitkenhead and Jace Guevarra scored in the shootout for the 2-1 Winnipeg victory.

Cooper Dryden made 26 saves for Brandon, with Tate Barnaby blocking 33 shots for Winnipeg.

The Wheat Kings have a three-game home stand this week, hosting the Thrashers on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., the Pembina Valley Hawks on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and the Winnipeg Wild on Sunday at 2 p.m.

SOUTHWEST COUGARS

The sixth-place Cougars (19-14-1-2) kicked off a seven-game home stand at Souris/Glenwood Memorial Complex against the 10th-place Interlake Lightning (10-23-1-0).

On Sunday, Jack Polasek, Shane Elder, Gavin Anderson and Cole Lobreau scored as the Cougars earned a 4-1 victory over the Lightning. Brady Shields made 23 saves for Southwest, with Grayson Mcdonald blocking 20 shots for Interlake.

On Saturday, Cougars forward Polasek scored the opening goal but the Lightning replied with four unanswered markers in a 4-1 Interlake win. Nate Brown made 19 saves for Southwest, with Seth Schaeffer stopping 25 shots for Interlake.

The Cougars host the Winnipeg Bruins on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

YELLOWHEAD CHIEFS

The ninth-place Chiefs (16-21-1-0) met Parkland on Tuesday and travelled east to the Moncrief Construction Sports Centre for a weekend set against the 13th-place Kenora Thistles (2-31-0-1).

On Sunday, Grady McNish and Nolan Kozak each scored twice and Redden Richmond, Winston Lepp and Brody Bohemier added singles in a 7-3 Southwest victory. Yellowhead’s Sawyer Wallin and Kenora’s Keanu Waasa’aanakwad both made 40 saves.

On Saturday, Yellowhead’s Grady McNish and Kenora’s Jeremy Hutchison traded goals in the second period, and when Redden Richmond gave the Chiefs a 2-1 lead with 3:49 remaining, Ethan Rody tied it 94 seconds later and then added the overtime winner for a 3-2 Kenora victory. Landon McGregor made 29 saves for Yellowhead, with Waasa’aanakwad stopping 43 shots for Kenora.

On Tuesday, Alec Strachan, Nolan Kozak, Winston Lepp, Wyatt Njegovan and Isaac McArthur all sniped in a 5-2 Chiefs win over the Rangers. Noah Smigelsky and Landyn Garton replied for Parkland. Wallin made 33 saves for Yellowhead, with Eddy Person blocking 30 shots for Parkland.

This week, the Chiefs host the Pembina Valley Hawks at Shoal Lake Communiplex on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

PARKLAND RANGERS

After the midweek game against Yellowhead, the seventh-place Rangers (18-12-4-1) hosted Interlake and headed to Morden’s Access Event Centre for a pair of matchups against the eighth-place Pembina Valley Hawks. (18-13-1-1).

On Sunday, Dayton Martin had four assists, Noah Smigelsky scored twice and Dylan Anderson, Alex Campbell and Brayden Budolowski also sniped in a 5-3 Parkland victory. Carter Sigurdson made 41 saves for Parkland, with Koen Bleznuk turning aside 31 shots for Pembina Valley.

On Saturday, Gavyn Yon of Brandon scored the overtime winner with eight seconds remaining to lift the Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Hawks. Smigelsky and Campbell had the other Parkland goals. Sigurdson of Parkland and Bleznuk of Pembina Valley both made 36 saves.

On Friday at Dauphin’s Credit Union Place, Rangers Martin and Smigelsky scored in the third period to tie the game 3-3, but Ryder Kirk and Corwyn Bear sniped in the shootout as the Lightning earned a 4-3 victory. Brayden Budolowski had the other Parkland goal, with Smigelsky also sniping in the shootout.

Sigurdson made 29 saves for Parkland, with Grayson Mcdonald blocking 32 shots for Interlake.

The Rangers visit the Teulon-Rockwood Arena this week to meet the Interlake Lightning on Saturday 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m.

GIRLS

YELLOWHEAD CHIEFS

Although a game between Westman and Yellowhead on Friday was postponed, the fifth-place Chiefs (10-9-2-2) still met the sixth-place Central Plains Capitals (8-14-0-1) and the first-place Eastman Selects (20-1-1-1) in the Manitoba Female Hockey League U18 AAA.

On Sunday, the Selects raced to a 2-0 lead in the first period, and with 17 saves by Isabelle Labossiere, cruised to a 4-0 victory. Kylie Hack made 29 saves for Yellowhead.

On Saturday, after 41 scoreless minutes, Chiefs forwards Jordan Woloski and Haley Chipelski erased 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. After nothing was decided in overtime, Chipelski scored the only goal of the three-round shootout for a 3-2 Chiefs victory.

Hack made 24 saves for Yellowhead — plus all three in the shootout — with Bailey Schwartz turning aside 31 shots for Central Plains.

The Chiefs don’t return to the ice until Saturday, Jan. 31 at 4:30 p.m., when they visit Morden’s Access Event Centre to play the Pembina Valley Hawks.

WESTMAN WILDCATS

After visiting Yellowhead on Friday, the fourth-place Wildcats (11-7-0-4) met Eastman on Saturday and Central Plains on Sunday at Hartney Arena.

On Sunday, Rachel Lyver broke a 1-1 tie with 3:17 remaining in a 2-1 Westman victory. Ivy Perkin had a goal and an assist for the Wildcats and Ivy Fry had a helper on both goals.

Shannon Hees made 16 saves for Westman, with Olivia May of Central Plains stopping 19 shots.

On Saturday, Addison Tomes made 13 saves and Émilie Carrière, Vayda Rigaux and Delainey Rigaux scored in a 3-0 Selects victory.

Shannon Hees made 28 saves for Westman.

After a week off, the Wildcats visit Winnipeg’s Hockey for all Centre to meet the Ice on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2:05 p.m., and then head to Morden’s Access Event Centre the next day to play the Pembina Valley Hawks at 4:30 p.m.

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