We've all have had those days that we've dreaded, and for the Weyburn Red Wings this past weekend was no exception. The team was heading north on a grueling three game, three-night road swing into some of the toughest competition know in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, (SJHL).
Clippers 11-Wings 2
Whatever lessons can come out of a game such as this one will be taught over and over again on the ice at Crescent Point Place come practice time this week. Weyburn's Brock Appleyard and Keegan Bruce were the only two Wings to light the lamp during the October 3 game in Kindersley. Justin Dalebozik and Tanner McCall were awarded with assists on the two separate scoring plays.
The Klippers scored two goals of their own in the first period, one in the second and eight in the third period to crush the Wing's spirit on day three of a tough and physically demanding road trip.
Kindersley's netminder Scott Hellyer helped by kicking out 27 of 29 shots on net, while Weyburn's Mitch Kilgore faced 20 shots and Lucas Felbel faced only 3 shots in the later part of the final period.
Broncos 10-Wings 4
Weyburn continues to have a strong showing in their first periods of play with Dalebozik opening the scoring for the Wings. Ryan Whitell and Kevin Morrison were awarded assists on the opening scoring play.
Wings Jesse Ross was next to help Weyburn's scoring drive with assists going to Daniel Adams and Lucas Ulmer close to the five minute mark of the opening period. Just over a minute later Dylan Coupal scored on the power play with help from TJ Wees and Drew George.
Despite the strong showing by Weyburn, Humboldt flexed their scoring muscles and came up with five goals of their own in the opening twenty minutes of play at the E.P.A. in Humboldt.
Humboldt would score the lone goal in the second period despite being the most penalized team on the ice in the second period.
Weyburn's Coltyn Sanderson scored the Wing's remaining goal in the contest in the third period with help from Sanderson and Coupal.
Humboldt would continue to dominate the remainder of the game with four more unanswered goals in the final twenty minutes of regulation time.
Weyburn's netminder for the evening, Lucas Felbel faced 29 shots over 60 minutes of play in the contest.
"Nobody wins the Royal Bank Cup (RBC) in October, but it's an important time for players to come together and learn how to play as a team and for lines to gel," Red Wings coach Dwight McMillan said later.
Wings7-North-Stars1
Weyburn was quick to jump out of the gate in North Battleford Friday night when Appleyard scored with help from George and Sanderson at the midway point in the opening period. The Wings would strike three more times in the second period as Kyle Vogel scored the second goal with help from Appleyard and Wees. George would score Weyburn's third goal help from the hot line of Appleyard and Wees to make it a 3-1 contest until Ulmer would add a fourth goal unassisted making it a 4-1 game at the end of the second period.
Weyburn would light the lamp three more times in the final period with scoring drives from George and assists from Sanderson and Appleyard early in the period. Sanderson would then answer with his own goal at the 12:21 mark of the third period with an assist going to Morrison for his part in the drive.
Jesse Ross would add Weyburn's seventh and final goal of the contest with help from Morrison and Wees to end any hopes of a home crowd victory for Battlefords fans.
The long awaited home opener at Crescent Point Place in Weyburn will start at 7:30 p.m., Friday October 8 when the Estevan Bruins come to town.
Saturday night will feature the Flin Flon Bombers playing in Weyburn, where the Wings will try to exact some measure of revenge from their recent double header up north.
The Wings will then head off to Yorkton, Tuesday, October 12 then back home to Weyburn to entertain the Battlefords, Friday October 15 and Melfort on Sunday, October 17.
