Wheat Kings, Chiefs set for Westman matchup

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This article was published 19/02/2025 (290 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Brandon Wheat Kings begin their first trip into the Manitoba Female Hockey League U18 AAA post-season tonight as they visit the visit the Yellowhead Chiefs at Shoal Lake Communiplex at 7:30 p.m.

The best-of-five quarterfinal series began around the league on Tuesday and will all wrap up by March 1 at the very latest.

Head coach Karissa Kirkup said she’s eager to get going as her fifth-place Wheat Kings (15-15-2) meet the fourth-place Chiefs (17-14-1).

“I’m very excited,” Kirkup said of her expansion club. “The team has fought tooth and nail to end up where we are … I’m really excited to start fresh. Now that everyone is seeded and going into playoffs I think that it’s important to reset but also got take in the tangible pieces we’ve learned as a team this year and apply them.

“We can’t take a shift off.”

The Shoal Lake Communiplex also hosts Game 3 on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 7:30 p.m. and if needed, Game 5 on Saturday, March 1 at 7:30 p.m. Game 2 on Saturday at 2:30 p.m., and potentially Game 4 on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 6:15 p.m., will be played at Brandon’s J&G Homes Arena.

“They’re really rough and they make it a battle every game,” Brandon blue-liner Chloe Kachur said. “You’re always battling and trying to play the body. They’re a rough team and also very good. There’s a big rivalry there.”

In the regular season, Brandon won 4-1 at home on Jan. 11, Yellowhead won 4-1 at home on Jan. 10, the Chiefs blanked the Wheat Kings 5-0 on the road on Dec. 7 and Yellowhead earned a 3-2 victory in Shoal Lake on Oct. 4.

“It will be a battle,” Kirkup said. “It’s been a battle all year and we’re looking forward to it.”

Interestingly, Brandon Paige Crossley (32 games played, 10 goals, 14 assists, 33 points) is the highest scoring player in the series from the regular season, followed by her teammate Sydney Sass (32gp, 7g, 25a, 32p).

Yellowhead has a more balanced scoring attack led by Kirby Gray (32gp, 13g, 13a, 26p), Presley Hodson (32gp, 15g, 10a, 25p) and Emma Pollock (32gp, 10g, 15a, 25p).

Kirkup noted players like Hodson, Pollock and others will have to watched closely.

“Kirby Gray will definitely be one to watch,” Kirkup said. “They have a few players, Erica Miko on the back end, she moves the puck well with outlet passes and is aggressive and a quick skater. They’ll be starting Clair Merckx in net. We have to focus on both but we’ve seen Merckx all year and she’s a big goaltender.

“We’re going to need chances to get the puck by her. We have to work the puck east-west and try to be patient in front of the net and clean up some stuff.”

The Wheat Kings struggled to score this season, posting just 61 goals while allowing 94. The Chiefs have 84 goals and 84 against.

“They’re a very good team,” Sass said. “They’re definitely aggressive. We have to be on it, heads up and we have to shoot to score because they have good goaltending as well, and win every battle. That will be crucial.”

In net, Brandon will rely heavily on their starting goalie, Danica Averill, who had a ridiculous .949 save percentage during the regular season to go with a 2.27 goals-against average.

At the other end, Chiefs starter Clair Merckx of Boissevain wasn’t far behind with a .936 save percentage and a 2.04 goals-against average.

“I definitely think they’re going to be a tough team to beat,” Averill said. “They have lots of good players and their goalie is very good too. I think it’s going to be hard to beat them but we have a chance if we all play our game and stick to what we know.”

Sass said she’s simply excited to get going.

“It’s very amazing, especially against them,” Sass said. “They’ve been a rival since U15 so I think it’s pretty awesome to go up against them and show what we have.”

In the other series:

• WESTMAN vs WPG AVROS

The seventh-place Wildcats (13-17-2) meet the second-place Avros (27-3-2) in a series that opened last night. Game 1 ended after deadline.

The Avros swept the season series, with 2-1, 4-2, 5-3 and 7-2 victories. In goals for and against, Winnipeg’s 140 for and 53 against stand in sharp contrast to Westman’s 88 for and 93 against.

• PEMBINA VALLEY vs WPG ICE

The sixth-place Hawks (14-17-1) meet the third-place Ice (22-8-2).

The Hawks earned a pair of 3-2 victories during the regular season, with the Ice earning 4-0 and 7-3 victories.

Pembina Valley won 2-1 in Game 1 on a pair of goals by Jessica Anderson despite being outshot 32-18. The Hawks allowed the third-most goals in the nine-team league in the regular season — 109 — and the Ice scored the third most 128 — so the battle will likely turn on Pembina Valley’s ability to defend its own net.

Game 2 is at Winnipeg’s Hockey For All Centre tonight at 8:20 p.m.

• INTERLAKE vs EASTMAN

The eighth-place Lightning (5-23-4) beat the ninth-place Central Plains Capitals (4-23-5) in the best-of-three, play-in series, winning 4-1 and 3-0 after losing the opener 1-0.

That earned them a matchup against the powerful first-place Selects (27-2-3).

The Lightning come in as massive underdogs after losing all four games by 7-0, 3-1, 3-0 and 2-1 margins. The Selects allowed just 33 goals in 32 games, 93 fewer than the Lightning.

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