ICYMI: Wheat Kings come away with two wins, play three games in four nights

KWK-3Oct21-14

The Killam Wheat Kings played three games in four nights last week and came away with four out of a possible six points.

The Killam team traveled to Wainwright on Wednesday, Oct. 15, where the Bisons won 5-1, keeping their unbeaten streak alive.

Killam was first to score on a goal by Clay Lang, assisted by Craig Lynes and Justin Ness midway in the first period.

The Bisons tied it up late in the frame for a 1-1 game heading into the dressing rooms.

The Bisons added four goals in the second and no scoring in the third made it a 5-1 final for the home team.

Nelson Heisler faced 48 shots in the Wheat Kings net.

The Wheat Kings traveled to Vermilion on Friday, Oct. 17, where a sparse crowd was in attendance. Killam out-shot Vermilion 41-23, and were able to capitalize 2-9 with the power play while shutting the Tigers out 0-8 with the extra attacker.

Tanner Watkins picked up his first shut out as a Wheat King, and the team earned their first road win of the season. The officials handed out 22 infractions with an even split per team.

There was no scoring in the first. Early in the second Clay Lang scored on the power play, assisted by Riley King, to make it 1-0.

Midway through the third, Dylon Cloutier scored his first goal as a Wheat King, set up by Clay Lang.

Brennan Kahlert added another power play goal from Justin Ness to give the Wheat Kings a 3-0 win over the Tigers.

On Saturday, Oct. 18 the Onion Lake Border Chiefs faced off against Killam. Both teams had five power-play chances; the Wheaties scored twice with the extra attacker and shut down the Border Chiefs’ power play. Killam out-shot Onion Lake 56-29. Nelson Heisler was in net for Killam.

The Wheat Kings opened the scoring on a Drew Bish power play goal assisted by Ness early in the first. Onion Lake tied it up a few minutes later. The score remained 1-1 at the end of the first. There was only one infraction called the first period.

Brett Yuha put the Wheaties up early in the second, assisted by Lynes. The play was rough, with the Border Chiefs getting pretty chippy as the period went on, the officials let the two teams play.

Lynes went in with Josh Beck and gave Killam the two-point lead. Beck scored from Evan Armstrong and Ness at the halfway mark of the second.

The Border Chiefs frustration started to show when at the 14:40 mark of the second period, Onion Lake player Preston Anderson lined up Killam forward Clay Lang and rang his bell good with a full-force hit that left Lang dazed as he hit the ice.

This earned Anderson a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Lang did return to the game eventually.

The Wheat Kings quickly capitalized on the power-play, with Lynes netting his second on the night from Beck and Kahlert. The second period ended with Killam leading 5-1.

The Border Chiefs sniper found a hole in the Wheat King defense and scored short-handed at the 13:00 mark of the third.

In the next 57 seconds both teams scored, making it the most exciting minute of the third.

At the 13:28 mark Clay Lang scored on power play, assisted by Dean Brodie and Dylon Cloutier.

Onion Lake scored immediately afterwards to make it a 6-3 game in favour of Killam.

The third period was rough with 15 infractions handed out and both teams hitting the body hard.

The Border Chiefs served a total of 67 penalty minutes on 12 infractions, while the Killam Wheat Kings served 34 minutes on 9 infractions.

Killam Head Coach Jamie Langley, when asked how he thought his team was performing, had this to say, ”It was nice to be rewarded for the hard work last week. Three games in four nights is never easy. The team worked hard and they earned everything that they got.

“The four points puts us in the position where we need to be but we have to continue to work hard. “The team game is starting to come, there are still some areas that we need to be better at. Any individual success will come because they are playing under the team umbrella.”