Plainsmen sit second after solid start

The Crocus Plains varsity hockey team defeated the Virden Golden Bears 5-2 in Westman High School Hockey League action on home ice Saturday afternoon in Brandon, continuing what has been a strong start to the 2026-27 Westman High School Hockey League season.

Grade 12 forward Kendrick Breemersch led the team to victory, scoring two goals and an assist.

“We’ve got off to a good record,” said head coach Darren Galatiuk. “We’re starting to buy into the systems that the coaching staff want to play, and we have a good group of kids.”

The game was physical from the start. The Plainsmen (5-2) took a boarding penalty just over three minutes into the game. Their penalty kill was efficient throughout the contest and did not allow a power-play goal at any point in the game.

With 5:56 remaining in the first, Breemersch took his first penalty after throwing a couple of heavy hits. The head contact penalty placed him in the sin bin for four minutes, though it didn’t hurt his team.

Born in 2008, Breemersch is a AAA-calibre player who scored 19 points in 48 games with the Central Plains Capitals U18 AAA team last year. Not only did he impact the game in the goal department, but he also played a physical brand of hockey that saw him wind up in the box throughout the contest.

“It’s quite difficult actually compared to U18 just with … how the style of play is played,” said Breemersch. “It’s very different from U18, that’s for sure.”

In the final minute of the period, Kane Kowalchuk potted a goal from the slot on a beautiful feed by Brady Reid to break the deadlock. Cody Johansen also received an assist on the play.

The second period was the Breemersch show from beginning to end. He started the period throwing the body and took a penalty for charging that got the Golden Bears up in arms. Heated words were exchanged between the two benches, with the coaches throwing several barbs back and forth.

“I was a little bit fired up,” said Virden head coach Matt Beaty. “Breemersch is a great player … I think he’s also a phenomenal skilled player … I took exception to some of the things he did … I was very sternly telling them that I didn’t like it.”

He added that the two sets of coaches spoke after the game and all parties apologized to one another.

The moment the charging penalty ended, Breemersch hopped out of the box, got a pass from Ayden Weatherby and scored on a breakaway, extending the Crocus lead to two. He currently leads the league with a stunning 19 goals and nine assists in eight games for 28 points in total.

Any time he touched the ice in the second period, Virden players targeted him in an attempt to get retribution for some of his hits.

“It’s hockey, it’s going to happen, you just have to push through it and give it your all,” said Breemersch.

He upped the ante three minutes later, scoring his second goal on the power play with 12:59 remaining in the second. The goal was nearly identical to his first. He scooped up the puck and used his speed to drive by a defender before scoring on a low shot that beat Virden goaltender Cody Cameron.

“That’s just how I play, so I’m going to keep rolling with it,” said Breemersch about his scoring and physicality.

His two goals sparked the Plainsmen, who scored twice more in the period. Carson Reid got the first marker, and Jaxon Deg followed up, making the score 5-0, with Breemersch getting an assist on the fifth goal.

The frantic pace of the second period cooled in the third. The Plainsmen even came out a bit flat. Brayden Rowan scored a shorthanded goal in the first 10 seconds of the period, followed by Mack Fefchak scoring with 15:32 remaining in the game.

The pair of goals broke Plainsmen goaltender Cody Johnson’s shutout bid. He made 38 saves on 40 shots in the game and played a huge role in Crocus’ victory.

“It’s not just me; it’s the defence, it’s the forwards in front of me that help me to make the saves that I did,” said Johnson.

With a 5-2 scoreline and the Golden Bears threatening a comeback, the Plainsmen picked up the pace and dominated the rest of the period to secure the win.

“There were times when it was all us, all us, all us, then we take a couple shifts off,” said Galatiuk. “We can’t do that and contend at the top of the league.”

They followed up the win on Saturday with a 7-5 win over the GCB Wildcats. They now sit first in the WHSHL with a 6-2 record. However, the Vincent Massey Vikings and Dauphin Clippers — who are tied for second — have only played five games and are undefeated. They are likely to overtake Crocus in the near future.

The Plainsmen have struggled against their cross-town rivals this season. The Vikings beat the Plainsmen 4-0 to open the season on Oct. 9, followed by a 10-3 pounding on Oct. 11. Outside of those two losses, the Plainsmen are on a six-game winning streak that dates back to Oct. 16.

“(Massey) is a target for everyone in this league, especially us, the cross-town rival, the weaker sister, if you will,” said Galatiuk. “Some day it’s going to be our day.”

Galatiuk added that he feels the team is improving and would like another chance to play Vincent Massey in the hopes of beating them. Their offence and goaltending will be central to their play style, like it was in the win over the Golden Bears.

“Definitely our strength is offence, we are tough to stop once we get into their zone,” said Galatiuk. “Defence is getting better game by game, but offence is our strength for sure, and goaltending, both of our goalies will make saves when we need them.”

For Breemersch, he knows the season is long, and he hopes that in the coming weeks and months, the team can come together and find more success.

“Sometimes we puck watch a little bit too much, and we give them way too much room,” said Breemersch. “We just have to clamp down and give 110 per cent every shift.”

» rmccarthy@brandonsun.com