U18 AAA WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Wheat Kings earn three points on weekend

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This article was published 27/01/2025 (235 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BOYS

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

The first-place Wheat Kings (30-4-3) lost one game in overtime, lost another game to a malfunctioning bus and earned a victory at J&G Homes Arena as they faced the second-place Winnipeg Wild (29-6-2) and the 11th-place Kenora Thistles (13-23-0) in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League over the weekend.

On Sunday, Kale Jones, Ethan Stanley, Crew Elder, Jonah Lemoine, Cole Lobreau and Cole Dupuis all scored as Brandon beat Kenora 6-1. Brady Low made 28 saves for Brandon, with Brady Cates blocking 40 shots for Kenora.

Saturday evening’s game was postponed due to issues with the Kenora bus and will be rescheduled.

On Friday, Luca Pura scored 58 seconds into overtime as the Wild earned a 4-3 victory. After Winnipeg went up 2-0, Reid Nicol, Jaxson Brick and Cole Lobreau scored to give the hosts a 3-2 lead, but Ludovic Perreault tied it 18:13 into the third period.

Matthew Michta made 32 saves for Brandon, with Justin Perreault blocking 39 shots for Winnipeg.

In the next week, the Wheat Kings host Southwest at J&G Homes Arena on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and visit the Pembina Valley Hawks at Morden’s Access Event Centre on Sunday at 2 p.m.

SOUTHWEST COUGARS

The fourth-place Cougars (23-10-5) swept the seventh-place Eastman Selects (18-15-5) at Souris/Glenwood Memorial Complex.

On Sunday, Taylor Lockhart gave Southwest an early lead, Eastman scored the next three goals to go up 3-1, and then Jack Polasek replied twice and Connor Hoemsen, Spencer Cullen and Slater Anderson added singles for the Cougars in a 6-3 victory.

Brodie Cameron made 27 saves for Southwest, with Samuel Fontaine and Wyatt Minsky combining to turn aside 21 shots for Eastman.

On Saturday, Micky Gross made 29 saves, Lynden Gould and Connor Hoemsen both sniped twice and Kole Beard, Jack Swaenepoel and Jaxsten Hansen-Young also scored in a 7-0 Southwest victory.

The Cougars put the game away with three goals in just over three minutes early in the third period. Minsky blocked 22 shots for Eastman.

After Southwest visits Brandon on Friday, they host the Winnipeg Wild at Souris/Glenwood Memorial Complex on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

YELLOWHEAD CHIEFS

The 13th-place Chiefs (7-28-1) split a pair of road games against the ninth-place Pembina Valley Hawks (16-15-6) and the third-place Winnipeg Bruins (27-6-2).

On Saturday at Southdale Community Centre, not much went right for the Chiefs in a 7-0 loss. Cole Lelond and Connor Rapley combined to make 33 saves for Yellowhead, with Jackson Hoes blocking just 10 shots for the Winnipeg shutout.

On Friday at Morden’s Access Event Centre, Riley Swereda scored 1:58 into overtime to give the Chiefs a 5-4 victory. Grady McNish scored twice and Chase Cochrane and Oliver Nickel also sniped as Yellowhead went up 4-0 but Pembina Valley’s Haiden Friesen’s third goal of the game tied it 4-4 with 92 seconds remaining.

Rapley made 39 saves for Yellowhead, with Ryler Gates and Karsen Dyck combining to turn aside 24 shots for Pembina Valley.

The Chiefs visit Parkland at Dauphin’s Credit Union Place on Tuesday at 7:15 p.m., and then return to the Shoal Lake Communiplex to host the Winnipeg Bruins on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and the Winnipeg Wild on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

PARKLAND RANGERS

The sixth-place Rangers (20-18-1) swept the 10th-place Norman Northstars (12-24-3) at Thompson’s C.A. Nesbitt Arena.

On Sunday, Cash McCallum, Dayson Martin, Ryder Gardner and Alex Campbell all dented the twine for Parkland in a 4-1 victory. Piet Mierau made 31 saves for Parkland, with Austin Kindrat and Blake Kusugak combining to blocking 52 shots for Norman.

On Saturday, Noah Smigelsky, Alex Campbell and Landyn Garton scored as the Rangers built a 3-0 lead en route to a 5-3 victory. Cade Legaarden and Benjamin Poole also sniped for Parkland.

Piet Mierau made 23 saves for Parkland, with Lincoln Richcoon blocking 33 shots for Norman as the two power plays went a combined 0-for-12.

The Rangers host the Chiefs on Tuesday, and the Kenora Thistles visit Credit Union Place on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

GIRLS

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

The sixth-place Wheat Kings (11-14-2) had three games, meeting Westman, the second-place Winnipeg Avros (25-2-2) and the first-place Eastman Selects (25-2-3) in the Manitoba Female Hockey League U18 AAA.

On Sunday at Niverville Recreation Centre, Cheyenne Scott Cooke and Emilie Carriere both scored twice in a 5-0 Eastman win.

Shannon Hees made 46 saves for Brandon, with Isabelle Labossiere stopping just 14 shots for the shutout victory.

On Saturday at J&G Homes Arena, Paige Crossley gave Brandon an early lead but they fell 4-1 to Winnipeg. Danica Averill made 42 saves for the Wheat Kings, while Madelynne Sylvestre turned aside 16 shots for the Avros.

On Thursday at J&G Homes Arena, Crossley had the lone goal of the game and Averill made 34 saves for a 1-0 Brandon victory. Kylie Hack made 18 saves for Westman.

The Wheat Kings visit Morden’s Access Event Centre to meet the Pembina Valley Hawks on Friday at 7:30 p.m., and the two teams meet again at J&G Homes Arena on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.

YELLOWHEAD CHIEFS

The fourth-place Chiefs (16-12-1) earned two points in games against the third-place Winnipeg Ice (20-5-2), the fifth-place Pembina Valley Hawks (12-14-1) and the Winnipeg Avros.

On Sunday at Shoal Lake Communiplex, Emma Pollock scored a short-handed goal to give the Chiefs an early lead but they fell 5-1 to the Avros. Gracie Johnston made 36 saves for Yellowhead, with Adriana Almeida handling 19 shots.

On Saturday at Morden’s Access Event Centre, Clair Merckx made 23 saves, Jordyn Veitch scored twice and Presley Hodson, Emma Pollock, Brooklynn Cochrane and Courtney Cochrane added singles in a 6-0 victory over the Hawks.

Kasia Rakowski turned aside 38 shots for Pembina Valley.

On Friday at Winnipeg’s Hockey for all Centre, Halle Chabluk’s goal midway through the second period stood as the winner in a 2-0 Ice victory.

Merckx made 41 saves for Yellowhead, while Bailey Grunewald blocked 24 shots for the shutout.

The Chiefs have next weekend off, returning when the Winnipeg Ice visit the Shoal Lake Communiplex on Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. They head out on the road for the rest of the weekend, visiting Winnipeg’s Seven Oaks Arena to play the Avros on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 6 p.m., and the Niverville Recreation Centre to skate against the Eastman Selects on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2:30 p.m.

WESTMAN WILDCATS

After Thursday’s loss in Brandon, the seventh-place Wildcats (10-16-2) fell to the Winnipeg Ice.

On Saturday at Winnipeg’s Hockey for all Centre, the Wildcats suffered a 6-3 defeat. Lucy Waldner scored twice and Jaedyn Hoemsen also sniped for the Wildcats, with Kylie Hack making 27 saves for Westman and Gina Plett turning aside 30 shots for Winnipeg

The Wildcats don’t see action again until they host Brandon at Hartney Arena on Friday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. They continue the weekend’s action by hosting the Winnipeg Ice at Hartney Arena on Saturday, Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m., and visit Portage la Prairie’s BDO Centre for the Community to meet the Central Plains Capitals on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 2:45 p.m.

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