Warriors pick up win in Hussar

By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter

There’s nothing like an old barn to help end a team’s winless streak.
Playing their first and only game this season at Hussar Arena, the Wheatland Warriors hammered the Medicine Hat Hounds 5-1 on Dec. 16.
The Warriors went a brief three games without picking up a win as the winter break neared.
“Those three games – two losses and a tie – I felt could have easily all went the other way,” said Warriors Assistant Coach Cody Brown. “Coming into this one, this was the result we expected if we showed up with the work ethic that we know we are capable of.”
Trailing 1-0 entering the second, the local double-A bantam team’s offence got rolling when Joel Romano potted his ninth of the season from Nate Gillis. Ray Warrack also added a marker from Brayden Ledrew and Jerrin Hendricks. Warrack is now third on the team with 13 points in his first season with the club.
Spencer Tower delivered a goal halfway through the third, as Ledrew closed out the game with a pair of goals in the later stages, as the Hounds dropped to 3-14-1.
The Warriors (7-10-2) will wrap up the 2017 season in Taber Dec. 23, when they take on the Golden Suns (2-16-1) at the Taber Community Centre. They will be back there to kick off the 2018 part of their South Central Hockey League season Jan. 5 in a rematch. The Warriors first home game of the New Year is Jan. 14, when they host the Red Deer Ramada Inn (5-11-1).
Braves look to rebound
The Wheatland Braves final home game of 2017 didn’t end pleasantly, as they were spanked 12-4 Dec. 16 at the Family Centre by the Medicine Hat Hounds (16-0-0).
The local double-A peewee team (12-10-0) surrendered six goals in the first period, broken up by Charles Goll’s 11th goal. He now leads the team with 26 points.
Garrin Gosling and Adam Moore found the back of the net for the Braves in the second, but couldn’t hold the Hounds down for long, as they were outscored 4-1 in the closing period. Nolan Bell added his fifth of the season from Nash Wassing and Tyler Fairbairn at the 2:44 mark.
The Braves will hope this was an anomaly, as they host the Hounds at Hussar Arena Dec. 23, in what is the Braves final game before the holiday break. Puck drop is set for 4:45 p.m.
In the new year, the Braves will take on the Lethbridge Hurricanes White (12-5-1) Jan. 5 at the Adams Ice Centre. The Braves won’t play a home game in 2018 until Jan. 20, when they host the Chestermere Lakers (1-15-0) at Hussar Arena.

Chiefs back to work
The Wheatland Chiefs were not in action last weekend. They have a pair of games before breaking for the holidays. On Dec. 20, they were at the Max Bell Centre #2 and took on the CRAA Gold (result not available as of press time). They will wrap up 2017 with a road game at the Henderson Ice Centre in Lethbridge to take on the division-leading Hurricanes for the final time this regular season. The local double-A midget team is 1-1-1 against the Hurricanes this season.