Yellowhead Chiefs week in review - Dec. 2
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- Published on Friday, December 2, 2016
The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press
Female Chiefs Sweep Central Plains
The Yellowhead AAA Midget Female Chiefs returned home on Saturday, Nov. 26, after a lengthy absence and hosted the Central Plains Capitals. After the big win over Westman on Wednesday, the coaches challenged the Chiefs to keep that pace going and continue to dictate the games. Both games would go just that way, as the girls put up two solid victories to remain near the top of the standings in the MFMHL.
On Saturday evening, the Chiefs hit the ice and were firing on all cylinders. Rylee Gluska opened the scoring at just over five minutes and that opened the floodgates, as the Chiefs would score three more in the first to take a 4-0 lead after one period. Tatum Amy scored two and Sydnee DeCorby added the other.
Central Plains would get one back in the second at the midway point, but Captain Amy was back just seconds later with her hat trick goal to restore the four goal lead. The Chiefs continued to set the pace in the third as goals from Rayna Boncchuk, Jena Barscello and Morgan Ramsay completed the 8-1 victory. The line of Amy Barscello and Ramsay combined for 5 goals and 7 assists on the evening to lead the way.
On Sunday, Nov. 27, the two teams met once again. The Chiefs maintained the same game as the previous day and jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first, as Tatum Amy, Morgan Ramsay and Karissa Cullum scored. Rylee Gluska added one in the second and Taeya Nicol scored a late third period power-play goal while Miranda Cook made 26 saves for a shutout. The Chiefs would win the game 5-0.
The team will now be involved in some exhibition games this coming weekend against the St. Mary’s Flames. After those matchups, the Chiefs will then will be off to the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament at the Notre Dame School in Wilcox, Saskatchewan the following weekend.
Midget Chiefs win pair of home games
It was another solid weekend on the ice for the Yellowhead AAA Midget Chiefs, as the team won a pair of home games. First, on Saturday, Nov. 26, Yellowhead collected a 5-2 win over the Parkland Rangers. The Chiefs were able to take control early, with a Noah Geekie goal just 51 seconds into regulation. Though the Rangers replied at the mid point of the period, Yellowhead reclaimed its lead just before the end of the first, as Benoit Mowbray scored his ninth goal of the year, making it a 2-1 score.
Mackenzie Belinski of Vista followed in the second period with a power-play goal. That was his 25th point of the year for the Chiefs and it gave a two goal cushion for the home side. Parkland bounced back with one of its own to once again trail by only a single goal.
The Chiefs were finally able to put things away in the third, as Ryan Heino and Noah Geekie finished off the scoring for the night, securing the 5-2 Yellowhead win.
The next day, the Kenora Thistles came to Shoal Lake, looking to knock off the Chiefs. While the visitors put up a great fight, it still wasn’t enough, as Yellowhead claimed the 4-3 shootout win. During regulation, Braden Gillies of Neepawa and Eric Lemoine of St. Lazare each registered a pair of points (1 goal - 1 assist apiece), while Elkhorn’s Parker Johnson secured the other regulation goal.
Neither team was able to secure the win in overtime, so it went to a shootout. For the first four rounds, neither club could slip one past the goaltenders. Jacob Tibbatts was the first and only player of the shootout who was able to slip one in the net, to win it for the Chiefs.
With these victories, Yellowhead improved it regular season record to 14-4-1-2 and secured it’s position in second place in the standings. Next up for the Chiefs is a road trip to Thompson to face the Norman Northstars.
