Wheatland hockey breaks for holiday season

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

The Wheatland Warriors can coast into the holiday season on a high note, having won three of their past four South Central Alberta Hockey League games.
On Dec. 18, Trey Gillis – the bantam Warriors long-haired spark plug – took a five-minute boarding major at the horn of the first period, banishing him from any return.
The Foothills Bisons (2-19-0) were given a lengthy power play to start the second period, and it turned into nearly two minutes down five-on-three when Kegan Law picked up a tripping minor.
The Warriors only allowed one goal, gathering momentum leading to the 5-2 win at the Strathmore Family Centre.
It wasn’t just the penalty kill that was clicking; the man advantage also factored in the outcome.
Mitch Tessemaker buried a pair of power play markers. The first came 9:01 into the opening frame when Adam Kirkpatrick spotted Tessemaker from the corner, just below the right faceoff circle on a brilliant feed. Tessemaker wasted no time depositing the puck into the open net. Cole Walker picked up his eighth assist and 10th point on the play.
Later in the second, coming off another big penalty kill, Tessemaker cranked a knuckle puck from the blue line, tumbling top corner for the eventual winner. They were his first two snipes of the year.
The Warriors (8-11-2) stretched the lead to four with goals by Jarred Schrock and Nolan Bailey, with a pair of assists to Kage Yellowfly and Kirkpatrick.
The Bisons were attempting to make a game of it with several strong shifts in the third, cycling down low and throwing anything and everything on net.
Corey Ross turned away 38 shots, as he picked up his second win.
Tessemaker put a bow on the game as he assisted on Yellowfly’s goal with 29 seconds in the third.
The Warriors resume play in 2017 when they travel to the Olds and District Sports Complex Jan. 7 to take on the Olds Grizzlys (11-5-1). Their first home game of the New Year goes Jan. 15 when they host the Grizzlys at the Strathmore Family Centre.

 

Chiefs winning streak ends
The Wheatland Chiefs experienced the most hectic part of their schedule leading up to the Christmas break, as they played five games in one week, which saw their 12-game winning streak come to an end.
First, the Chiefs dumped the Okotoks Oilers Green 6-4 on Dec. 13. They then had to turn around and take on CRAA Blue (7-3-1) the following evening at the Max Bell Centre #1, where they were bested 3-2.
Defenseman Scott Desserre blocked a shot with his hand, breaking a finger, which now requires surgery. There is no timetable for his return.
The Chiefs (19-2-1) hopped back in the win column with a 3-0 blanking of the Oilers Green (7-10-3) Dec. 17 at Hussar Arena. Sitting first and second in league scoring, Isaac Benoit and Chayse Hnatowich added first-period tallies along with Kale Clouston.
Wacy Sandum, Robert Butterwick, Ryan McHarg and Benoit added assists.
Ty Tarvyd turned away 20 shots for his fourth shutout.
The Chiefs then manhandled the 2-19-2 Foothills Bisons 8-2 Dec. 18 at the Strathmore Family Centre.
Benoit scored four straight goals, Hnattowich picked up three helpers, Zachary Suntjens finished with a goal and an assist and Lucas Muenchrath supplied a pair of assists, while Riley Stovka made 20 saves for his eighth win.
The Chiefs return Jan. 7 when they take on the Taber Golden Suns (7-9-5). at the Taber Community Centre.