The Kindersley Klippers improved their record to 5-1-0 in this early SJHL season with a 5-3 win over the La Ronge Ice Wolves. The Klippers entered play against the number-two ranked Ice Wolves who were coming off an 8-4 victory versus Weyburn on Thursday night and were the only remaining undefeated team in the league.
Courtesy of Dean Gutenberg
Micheal Sagen opened up the scoring for La Ronge 5:10 into the first with his third of the year on a Klippers defensive break down. Gio Bombini would get the Klippers even at 16:11 of the first on the power play. Bombini found himself in the slot, fell to his rear end and was still able to roof the shot over Tyler Fuhr. Just 1:37 later Owen LaClare would get his ninth goal of the year on a wraparound that Klippers goalie Tyrell King was moving the wrong way on.
On the ensuing faceoff Rhett Kehoe would spear Eli Jarvis before the puck dropped and Jared Pilet scored on the power play with a seeing eye shot from the point for his second goal of the year to draw even the two teams even after one period.
Undisciplined penalties continued for the La Ronge Ice Wolves in the second but the Klippers were unable to capitalize on their power plays. Kindersley heavily out shot and out played La Ronge, getting 12 shots and only giving up two. Marc Dubeau would get his first as a Klipper after being acquired from the Bonnyville Pontiacs two weeks ago and the Klippers went into the second intermission up 3-2. No other time this year had the Ice Wolves trailed after 40 minutes, while the Klippers were 3-0 when heading into the final frame with the lead.
Dubeau gained noticeable confidence after his gaol in the second and was able to intercept a break out pass off the offensive blue line and fire a bullet over the glove of Fuhr 1:59 into the third period. Jared Iron was able bury a rebound into a wide open net to get La Ronge to within one with just more than six minutes to go in the third. That seemed to waken the Ice Wolves as they showed why they are the highest-scoring team in the SJ and it was just wave after wave of attack in the final five minutes until Cody Young scored his first SJHL goal in an empty net with 25 seconds remaining to seal the win for Kindersley.
Tyrell King played another solid game making 34 saves, 25 of which came in the final frame. Eric Pouliot led the way offensively collecting three assists.
Prior to the game the Klippers acquired goaltender Brendan Mills from the Weyburn Red Wings for future considerations as Evan Weninger is unable to make the road trip due to an undisclosed injury.
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