U18 AAA WEEKLY ROUNDUP: Wheat Kings fall into second as Wild surge

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This article was published 10/02/2025 (297 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BOYS

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

The second-place Wheat Kings (33-5-3) split a pair of road games against the eighth-place Interlake Lightning (19-18-5) and the third-place Winnipeg Bruins (32-6-3) in the Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League over the weekend.

On Saturday at Southdale Community Centre, after a scoreless first period, Winnipeg’s Shea Rollason and Brandon’s Jaxson Brick exchanged goals in the second period. Bruins forward Kingston Gunn scored goals five minutes apart, with the second coming shorthanded as Winnipeg posted a 3-2 victory.

Reid Nicol scored his 28th goal of the season with 34 seconds remaining. Matthew Michta made 23 saves for Brandon, with Zak Matheson blocking 34 shots for Winnipeg.

On Friday at Teulon-Rockwood Arena, Crew Elder scored twice and Jonah Lemoine, Reid Nicol, Hunter Ethelston, Ethan Stanley, Jaxson Brick, Aiden Laing and Cole Dupuis all sniped in a 9-1 rout of Interlake.

Michta made 30 saves for Brandon, with Seth Schaeffer blocking 54 shots for Interlake.

The Wheat Kings visit Souris/Glenwood Memorial Complex to meet the Southwest Cougars on Wednesday at 8 p.m., and then visit Portage la Prairie’s Stride Place for games against the Central Plains Capitals on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 5:45 p.m.

SOUTHWEST COUGARS

The fifth-place Cougars (23-13-6) were swept by the fourth-place Winnipeg Thrashers (26-16-2) at Seven Oaks Community Centre.

On Saturday, Thrashers forward Crosby Harrison scored his second goal of the game 50 seconds into the overtime as the Winnipeggers earned a 2-1 victory. Rookie defenceman Theran Turner scored his first U18 goal for the Cougars.

Micky Gross made 26 saves for Southwest, with Hudson Hunnie blocking 27 shots for Winnipeg

On Friday, Brock Hutchison had the lone Southwest goal as they fell 3-1 after Winnipeg scored a late empty-net goal. Brodie Cameron made 28 saves for Southwest, with Tate Barnaby blocking 29 shots for Winnipeg.

The Cougars host the Wheat Kings on Wednesday, and then the Winnipeg Bruins visit Souris/Glenwood Memorial Complex for games on Saturday 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m.

YELLOWHEAD CHIEFS

The 13th-place Chiefs (7-33-2) met Parkland and the seventh-place Eastman Selects (20-18-5) in three games at Shoal Lake Communiplex last week. On Sunday, Redden Richmond scored the lone goal for Yellowhead as the Chiefs dropped a 6-1 decision.

Cole Lelond made 52 saves for Yellowhead, with Wyatt Minsky blocking 23 shots for Eastman.

On Saturday, Colby Asselstine and Alec Strachan scored goals 13 seconds apart late in the third period after the Chiefs had fallen behind 4-0, and Yellowhead fell 4-2 to Eastman.

Connor Rapley made 44 saves for Yellowhead, with Wyatt Minsky blocking 37 shots for Eastman.

On Tuesday, Alec Strachan and Riley Swereda gave the Chiefs a 2-0 lead before Forrest Karlson, Dayson Martin and Cade Legaarden put the Rangers up 3-2. Oliver Nickel tied for the Chiefs with an unassisted shorthanded goal at the 15:22 mark, but Cade Legaarden scored for the Rangers with 61 seconds remaining in a 4-3 Parkland victory.

Connor Rapley made 46 saves for Yellowhead, with Piet Mierau blocking 28 shots for Parkland.

The Chiefs host the Winnipeg Bruins at Shoal Lake Communiplex on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., and then head out for their final road game of the season when they travel to Teulon-Rockwood Arena to meet Interlake on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Their final four games of the season are all at home.

PARKLAND RANGERS

After the win over Yellowhead, the sixth-place Rangers (23-18-2) hosted the 10th-place Kenora Thistles (17-25-0) at Dauphin’s Credit Union Place in their final home games of the regular season.

On Sunday afternoon, Noah Smigelsky scored goals two minutes apart in the first period to give Parkland a lead it wouldn’t surrender in a 5-1 victory.

Quinten Fisk, Alex Campbell and Dayson Martin had the other goals for the Rangers. Piet Mierau made 21 saves for Parkland, with Brady Cates blocking 27 shots for Kenora.

On Saturday, Parkland’s Cade Legaarden scored 52 seconds into the second period and Kenora’s Gavin Holowanky scored with 59 seconds remaining, and the team went into the shootout tied 1-1.

When both Thistles scored and both Rangers failed to dent the twine, Kenora took a 2-1 decision. Piet Mierau made 19 saves for Parkland, with Morgan Blackwood blocking 30 shots for Kenora.

The Rangers play their final five games on the road, heading to Winnipeg’s Hockey For All Centre on the weekend for games against the Winnipeg Wild on Saturday at 4:15 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m.

GIRLS

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

The fifth-place Wheat Kings (15-15-2) earned a pair of victories in the three games to finish up their inaugural Manitoba Female Hockey League U18 AAA regular season

On Sunday at J&G Homes Arena, Paige Crossley ended Gina Plett’s shutout bid with two seconds left as the Wheat Kings fell 6-1 to the third-place Winnipeg Ice (22-10-0).

Shannon Hees made 37 saves for Brandon, with Plett stopping 17 shots.

On Saturday at Portage la Prairie’s BDO Centre for the Community, Paige Crossley’s hat trick goal came 37 seconds into overtime as they earned a 4-3 victory over the ninth-place Central Plains Capitals (4-28-0).

Shannon Hees made 44 saves for Brandon, including three in overtime. Elyse Denbow stopped 38 shots for Central Plains.

On Friday at Hartney Arena, Jordan Bell had a hat trick and Sydney Sass and Keira Vines added singles as Brandon beat Westman 5-2. Reese Schutte had both goals for Westman.

Danica Averill made 52 saves for Brandon while Indigo Stone had 16 stops for Westman.

YELLOWHEAD CHIEFS

The fourth-place Chiefs (17-14-1) played once at home and twice on the road, meeting the Winnipeg Ice, the second-place Winnipeg Avros (27-3-2) and the first-place Eastman Selects (27-2-3).

On Sunday at Niverville Recreation Centre, Danyel Heppner scored three goals in the first 13 minutes and Isabelle Labossiere made 15 saves in a 6-0 Eastman victory. Gracie Johnston stopped 31 shots for Yellowhead.

On Saturday at Winnipeg’s Seven Oaks Arena, Jordan Woloski and Jordyn Veitch put the Chiefs up 2-0 with goals 15 seconds apart, but the Avros got back within one with nine seconds left in the first period and sniped twice more in the second period for a 3-2 Winnipeg victory. Clair Merckx made 36 saves for Yellowhead. Madelynne Sylvestre and Adriana Almeida combined to stop 18 shots for Winnipeg.

On Friday at Shoal Lake Communiplex, Kirby Gray and Woloski scored as the Chiefs beat the Ice 2-1.

Clair Merckx made 34 saves for Yellowhead, with Gina Plett stopping 26 shots for Winnipeg.

WESTMAN WILDCATS

After Friday’s loss to Brandon, the seventh-place Wildcats (13-19-0) met the Winnipeg Ice and Central Plains.

On Sunday at Portage la Prairie’s BDO Centre for the Community, Lucy Waldner and Reese Schutte both scored twice and Ivy Perkin, Charlie Shearer and Katie Bell in a 7-2 Wildcats victory.

Kylie Hack earned the win for Westman but shots were unavailable.

On Saturday at Hartney Arena, Ivy Perkin had a hat trick, Waldner scored twice and Charlie Shearer added a single as the Wildcats beat the Ice 6-3.

Indigo Stone made 35 saves for Westman, with Bailey Grunewald and Gina Plett teaming up to make 19 saves.

» The Brandon Sun