Wild weekend for Wheatland Kings

Tyler Lowey
Times Reporter

 

The Strathmore Wheatland Kings experienced it all over the weekend: a tough loss to a bully, a blowout victory and a shootout that lasted a lifetime.
The Kings dropped their second shootout of the season, 5-4 to the Ponoka Stampeders Oct. 23 during Heritage Junior Hockey League action at the Ponoka Culture and Recreation Complex.
“It was unbelievable and very entertaining,” said Kings assistant coach Braden Desmet.
It took 18 shooters for the Stamps to edge out the 2-1 victory in the shootout, following five minutes of scoreless four-on-four overtime.
“I haven’t seen one go that long, I’ve never been a part of one or even heard of one like that,” said Desmet.
The Kings and Stamps (3-9) would sit second place in NHL history for shootout length.
After Matt Thomson and Brooker Pretty Youngman missed the Kings’ first two attempts, Kristian Ayoungman tied it 1-1, forcing extra shooters. Keenan Ogle, Kody Hammond, Hayden Vanderploeg, Thomson, Pretty Youngman and Ayoungman all shot twice.
Brady Hoover started all three games in the net for the Kings. He was relieved of his duties against the Stamps after allowing three unanswered goals in the second period.
“The goals weren’t necessarily his fault, we just had to make a change to try and spark the team,” said Desmet.
The switch worked as the Kings (4-5-3) poured on three-straight goals in the second and third, including a pair from Pretty Youngman, sending the game to overtime.
Vanderploeg and Ogle added the remaining Kings tallies with assists from Laval Jerry, Brenden Moore and Ayoungman.
Pretty Youngman is rolling lately. Following a hat trick Oct. 14 against the Northern division leaders, Airdrie Techmation Thunder (9-2-2), he added three goals and five points over the three games to overtake Thomson for team lead with 19 points.
“He’s playing really well with his linemates Bradley Tingey and Kristian. He’s moving his feet more, getting back on defense and stepping back to his old ways,” said Desmet.
Listed at 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Pretty Youngman is a force, with a head of steam driving to the net, and was named HJHL Player of the Week for Oct. 17-23. He is riding a 10-game point streak.
“He’s a tough guy to get the puck off of and he has some great hands when he gets within 10 feet of the net. He also protects the puck well with his body, carrying defenders, which opens up the ice for his teammates,” said Desmet.
The Kings picked up their first blowout victory on the campaign when they blasted the Medicine Hat Cubs 7-1 Oct. 22 at the Strathmore Family Centre.
“It’s nice to win a laugher like that for a change. It’s time we start to string some of these wins together,” said Thomson.
Vanderploeg picked up his first two-goal game of the season – sort of. Nine seconds into a Tyler Zdunich hooking minor, Vanderploeg tried to clear the puck from the side of his net and pulled a Bryan McCabe.
“The puck was bouncing around at my skates and I simply just hit it into the net,” said Vanderploeg.
“That was a great win and a good comeback-win following another tough game in Cochrane,” said Kings coach Shadoe Stoodley.
The Cochrane Generals have grabbed the Kings by the ankles, turned them upside down and have stolen all their lunch money for the past two seasons.
Whether it’s regular season, playoffs or exhibition games, the Kings struggle with the Generals. The Generals swept the Kings during the quarterfinals last season after dropping all four regular season matchups. This year, the Generals have gotten the better of the Kings in two exhibition matches and now two regular season meetings. The closest the Kings have come to eclipsing the Generals was when they went 0-1-3 in the 2014-15 season.
“I thought we played them pretty tough. We were tied at one after the first, but then a couple mental errors really cost us,” said Stoodely.
Next for the Kings, they travel to Collicutt Arena Oct. 29 in Red Deer for a bout with the Vipers. The Vipers (7-4) brushed back the Kings 5-1 back on Oct. 7 in Strathmore. The next home game for the Kings runs Nov. 1 (Tuesday) at 8:30 p.m. when the Blackfalds Wranglers (4-5) visit the Strathmore Family Centre. The Wranglers dusted the Kings 4-3 in a shootout on Oct. 9.