SWHL This Week; Week 3

Week 3 of the Sask West Hockey League (SWHL) wrapped up with the Wilkie Outlaws once again on top of the standings with a perfect 5-0 record. The Kindersley Sr Klippers hold second play with a 3-1 record, followed by the Edam 3 Stars with a 2-1 record. The Biggar Nationals (1-2) and the Hafford Hawks (1-3) hold a tie for 4th. The Unity Miners and, the biggest surprise so far, Macklin Mohawks are winless at 0-2. 

A Sunday afternoon matinee at the SaskCan Community Centre saw the Wilkie Outlaws host the Biggar Nationals, with the shorthanded Outlaws coming away with a close 5-4 victory. 

Brett Boehm and Rory Gregoire scored in the first to send the Outlaws to the dressing room with a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes. Brett Novak scored for the visitors to cut the lead to 2-1 but Will Rathje and Gregoire extended the lead to 4-1. A shorthanded marker by Jonathon Redlick halved the lead, as the Nats went to the dressing room down 4-2 after 40 minutes. The first five minutes of the 3rd period was the Novak Show as he scored twice to tie the game up at 4. However, Mitch Suchan didn’t want to see the hometown fans go home late, as he scored the eventual game winner. Nationals' goaltender Brett Matlock was the star of the day as he faced 76 shots, stopping 71 of them. 

On Saturday night, The Kindersley Sr Klippers hosted the Hafford Hawks at the West Central Events Centre and it was the Klippers cruising to a 6-1 win. 

Lane Gilliss and Damon McKenzie scored in the first for the home team while Brandon Lesko scored for the northern birds, as the teams left the ice after the first period with a 2-1 Kindersley lead. After that, it was all Klippers as Jonny Calkins and Kyle Donaldson would score in the second for a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes and Troy Boisjoli and Donaldson’s second of the evening added some icing onto the win in the third period. 

Also on Saturday night, the Unity Miners welcomed the Edam 3 Stars into the UCC Shingledome, but the guests were rude and left the building with a 4-1 triumph. 

It took a little over a period before the zeroes on the scoreboard changed as Brady Deobald scored the only goal of the period, ensuring the away team had a 1-0 lead after 2 periods of play. Jared Blaquiere’s goal just 15 seconds into the 3rd period gave Edam a 2-0 lead, but Davis Chorney had other ideas on the power play, cutting the deficit to 2-1. Brody Roach would extend the lead to 3-1 and Blaquiere’s second of the evening into the open net would secure the victory. The Miners were able to keep up despite being outshot 43-21. 

On Friday night, the shorthanded Wilkie Outlaws hosted the Edam 3 Stars, and it was the home team coming away with the 4-1 win.  

The score remained a draw after the first period, but Brett Schell broke open the scoring at 14:44 of the second. Rick Cey added a goal to give the Outlaws a 2-0 lead heading into the third. Damon Scheafer was able to cut the lead in half but Schell’s second of the night and Blake Young’s 4th goal of the year just 12 seconds apart in the later stages of the third propelled Wilkie into the win column. 

Also on Friday night, the Kindersley Sr Klippers headed north to face off against the Biggar Nationals, and it was the Nats holding off the away team in a 3-2 win. 

The Klippers held a 1-0 lead after 1 period off the stick of Lane Gilliss. The dam let loose a little in the second as Jonathon Redlich, Brett Novak and Keaton Haynes all scored before the 10-minute mark of the second and leading the Nationals to a 3-1 lead after two periods. Shayne Neigum would score in the third, but it just wasn’t enough to secure overtime. 

It is important to note that so far, the Edam 3 stars are an abysmal 0-9 on the Power Play. However, their Penalty Killing rate is almost 93 percent.   

Four Games are on the rolodex the upcoming weekend of November 17th-19th as Biggar hosts Unity on Friday night, Kindersley hosts Macklin and Edam travels to Biggar on Saturday night, and Wilkie hosts Macklin in a Sunday matinee.