Joseph Young stopped all 35 shots he faced for his second shutout this season as the Weyburn Red Wings went into their Christmas break with a 3-0 win in Yorkton on Friday. Despite a 4-7 record on the season, Young now sits with a 2.00 GAA and a .941 save percentage.
Rookies Shayde Peterson Braden Birnie scored in the first period to give Weyburn a 2-0 lead, and Jaxon Tait added one more in the third into an empty net to round out the scoring.
Philippe Bond made 21/23 saves in goal for the Terriers (22-15-1-0), who were shutout for the second time this season, both times against Weyburn, and both with Young in goal. Yorkton wraps up their pre-Christmas schedule Saturday night in Estevan.
Weyburn heads into the break with a record of 14-20-0-1, tied for 10th overall with Estevan, who’ll they meet in their annual New Year’s home-and-home. The two rivals are five points back of Kindersley and Notre Dame, who sit tied for the 8th and final playoff spot.
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Jake Gudjonson had a goal and five assists for a big six point night as the La Ronge Ice Wolves erupted for a 10-5 win over Flin Flon.
Jordan Mish had two goals and an assist, as nine different skaters scored for the Ice Wolves (20-14-2-2). Rowan Barnes (1g-2a), Kevin Fillier (1g-1a), Samson Mouland (1g-1a), Ben Manson, Chad McIlwain, Aaron Greyeyes and Logan Holm all found the net once. Liam McGarva made 28/33 saves.
Easton Haygarth scored twice for the Bombers (23-8-4-0), with Caleb Franklin (1g-1a), Dane Hirst and Billy Klymchuk adding the others.
La Ronge now sits in 5th overall, but just one point behind both Yorkton and Melfort who sit tied for third. Flin Flon still has a five point edge over those two clubs in second.
The Ice Wolves and Bombers wrap up their home and home Saturday in Flin Flon before their holiday break. They’ll return with another home and home January 3rd and 4th.
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Much like the Wolves and Bombers, the Melfort Mustangs and Nipawin Hawks met for the first of four straight matchups on Friday, with Melfort taking this one 5-2 at home.
Adam Nobes led the Mustangs (21-11-2-1) offensively with a goal and three assists, while Shawn Parkinson picked up the win with a 23/25 save performance. Kenzie Arnold (1g-1a), Ben Tkachuk, Christian Albertson and Tyson Meyers also scored.
Michael Makarenko scored both for the Hawks (17-16-2-0), who’ve now dropped five straight but look for revenge Saturday at home against the Hawks. Makarenko has 11-goals on the season after potting eight as a rookie a year ago.
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The Battlefords North Stars started the game with four straight goals in the first period and rolled to a 6-3 win over the visiting Notre Dame Hounds, the final game before Christmas for both clubs.
The Stars (30-6-2-0) found themselves in a mini-slump in the first half of the month, but appear back on track at the break, winners of three in a row. Jaxon Steele (1g-1a), Timon Prexler, Ryland McNinch and Steven Kesserling scored the four quick ones just over five minutes apart, before the game was nine minutes old. Prexler has five goals on the season in 22 games, and the defenseman has four of them in his last three games.
Elijah Loon-Stewardson added the next two for the Stars in the second and third periods, and Parker Rey made 26/29 saves.
Despite the slow start, the Hounds (15-19-3-1) got back in it before the first period was done as Olivier Lepine and Ben Hamilton (first SJHL goal) cut the deficit in half. Kevin Anderson added another in the third, his second goal in as many SJHL games for the ‘AAA’ call-up. The Hounds are tied with Kindersley for the final playoff spot as they prepare for the final 20 games. They don’t play again until Tuesday, January 7th in Humboldt.
Saturdays is the final night of the SJHL’s pre-Christmas schedule with just three games. Flin Flon/La Ronge and Nipawin/Melfort wrapping up home-and-homes, and Yorkton heading to Estevan.
