SWHL: The 25th Anniversary Season is underway
By Phil Heilman
The Sask West Hockey League (SWHL) opened up their 25th anniversary season this past weekend, and the bingo card filled up quickly with some quirky and expected endings. On Saturday night, the defending champion Kindersley Sr. Klippers opened their season against the Wilkie Outlaws, the team they beat in the finals. The home team walked away with a solid 4-1 victory.
Macklin Mohawks Spencer Bast is robbed by Biggar Nationals goaltender Brett Matlock in an opening weekend battle at the Jubilee Stadium. The Mohawks would go on to win in OT 2-1. PHOTO BY PHIL HEILMAN
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 the 2-0 lead after 1 period. Brody Ryberg added to the lead with the lone snipe of the middle frame, with Calkins adding his 2nd 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 in the win.
Also on Saturday, The Macklin Mohawks battled the Biggar Nationals at the Jubilee Stadium, with the visitors returning with a not-so-pretty 2-1 overtime victory.
The only scoring in regulation took place in the 2nd period, with Chris Henry making it 1-0 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 in the overtime loss.
On Friday night, the Outlaws opened their season by welcoming the Hafford Hawks to the SaskCan Community Centre. Wilkie won 7-2.
Brock Harrison scored on an unassisted marker, but Kyle Litchenwald tied things up just a minute later, leaving the first period in a 1-1 draw. The floodgates opened in the 2nd period, with Brett Schell giving the Outlaws the 2-1 lead, followed by Ryan Keller's shorthanded 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 re-established the 2-goal lead, followed by Mitch Suchan's own PPG, extending it to 5-2 after 40 minutes. Brett Boehm and Kyler Lorenz added some icing in the 3rd period to a convincing win.
Joel Gryzbowski stopped 37 of 44 shots in the loss, while Jared Herle stopped 25 of 27 in the win.
Also on Friday, 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. However, Keegan Tiringer's first as a 3 Star would give Edam the 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Tiringer would add two more in the 2nd period, with Tristan Derenoski's first of the year sandwiched between, extending the lead to 5-1 after 2 periods. Redlich (PPG marker) and Kobe Peppler tried digging the Nationals out of the hole in the 3rd, but that would be as close as they would get, with Connor Managre and Tiringer's 4th of the evening opening the lead up to 4 goals again. Taylor Bucsis scored with just 7 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 November 15-17th, with Macklin hosting Kindersley on Friday at 8:30pm, Unity Hosting Edam on Saturday at 8pm, and Biggar travelling to Wilkie for a 4pm Sunday tilt.