The Sask West Hockey League (SWHL) opened their 25th anniversary season this past weekend, and the bingo card filled up quickly with some quirky and expected endings.
The defending champions, the Kindersley Sr. Klippers, opened their season Nov. 9 against the team they beat in the finals, the Wilkie Outlaws. The home team walked away with a solid 4-1 victory.
Kyle Donaldson opened the scoring at the 10:36 mark, with Jonny Calkins adding to the lead nearing the end of the period, giving the Klippers a 2-0 lead after the first period. Brody Ryberg added to the lead with the lone snipe of the middle frame, with Calkins adding his second of the night to make it 4-0. Ryan Keller broke up the goose egg to finish up the scoring.
Jared Herle took the loss, stopping 32 of 36 shots, while Logan Drackett stopped 37 of 38 shots in the win.
Also on Nov. 9, the Macklin Mohawks battled the Biggar Nationals at the Jubilee Stadium, with the visitors coming away with a not so pretty 2-1 overtime victory,
The only scoring in regulation took place in the second period, with Chris Henry making it 1-0 with the Nats on the power play, but Carson Pickett responded less than a minute later to tie it up. Spencer Bast sent the Mohawks home happy, scoring on the power play very early into the extra frame.
Trevor Martin took the overtime win, stopping 41 of 42 shots, while Brett Matlock stopped 52 of 54 shots in the overtime loss.
On the evening of Nov. 8, the Outlaws opened their season by welcoming the Hafford Hawks to the SaskCan Community Centre, with Wilkie taking the 7-2 victory.
Brock Harrison opened the scoring on an unassisted marker, but Kyle Litchenwald tied things up just a minute later, leaving the first period in a 1-1 draw. The flood gates opened in the second period, with Brett Schell giving the Outlaws a 2-1 lead, followed by Ryan Keller’s short-handed marker which extended the lead to 3-1. Jeremy Boyer cut the lead back down to 3-2, all before the midway point of the period. Keller’s second of the evening on the power play late in the period reestablished the 2-goal lead, followed by Mitch Suchan's own power play goal, extending it to 5-2 after 40 minutes. Brett Boehm and Kyler Lorenz added some icing in the third period to a convincing win.
Joel Gryzbowski stopped 37 of 44 shots in the loss, while Jared Herle stopped 25 of 27 shots in the win.
Also on Nov. 8, the Nationals welcomed the Edam 3 Stars to ‘The Jube’, but the boys from the north left with a 7-4 win.
Kendall Fransoo opened the scoring for the visitors, but Jonathon Redlich tied things up late in the opening frame. Keegan Tiringer’s first as a 3 Star though would give Edam the 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Tiringer would add two more in the second period, with Tristan Derenoski’s first of the year sandwiched between, extending the lead to 5-1 after two periods. Redlich (PPG marker) and Kobe Peppler tried digging the Nationals out of the hole in the third, but that would be as close as they would get, with Connor Managre and Tiringer’s fourth of the evening opening the lead up to four goals again. Taylor Bucsis scored with just seven seconds left on the power play to wrap up scoring,
Brett Blaquiere, in his first senior game in six years, took the win stopping 20 of 24 shots, while Brett Matlock stopped 29 of 37 shots in the loss.
Three games are on the docket for the weekend of Nov. 15-17, with Macklin hosting Kindersley on Friday at 8:30 p.m., Unity hosting Edam on Saturday at 8 p.m. and Biggar travelling to Wilkie for a 4 p.m. Sunday tilt.
