The Winkler Flyers offense erupted on Saturday night in a 14-0 win over the visiting Neepawa Natives. All but two of the Flyers’ skaters recorded a point in the game which increased Winkler’s winning streak to four games.
Playing their second of two straight home games on the weekend, the Flyers looked to carry some momentum from their 5-1 win over Waywayseecappo the night before. Winkler hit the scoreboard early in the game and never looked back.
Thomas Mansbridge scored the first of six Flyer goals in the opening period, 2:32 into the game. It was the 11th time in 16 games where Winkler scored the first goal of the game. Nolan McGuire and Scott Gall assisted on Mansbridge’s fifth of the year. Just past the nine minute mark, Braden Billaney skated down the left wing and picked the far corner, giving Winkler a 2-0 lead. Just 15 seconds later, Captain Connor Hamonic found a loose puck in front and scored his first of the year to extend Winkler’s lead to 3-0. Tyler Jubenvill, Dionne Demke, Nico Labossiere and Coltyn Bates all assisted on the two goals.
With 8:51 remaining in the period, Tristan Keck reached a personal milestone with his 100th career Manitoba Junior Hockey League regular season goal. Cam Whyte and Nathan Karlowsky assisted on Keck’s sixth of the year which pushed the Flyers in front 4-0. After Jordan Williamson scored on the power-play to make the score 5-0, Scott Gall potted his ninth to give the Flyers a 6-0 first period lead.
The Flyers kept their foot on the gas with five more goals in the second period. Before the four minute mark of the period, Williamson scored again on the power-play. Not even two minutes later, Labossiere and Bates assisted on Billaney’s second of the game to make it an 8-0 game. Under a minute later, Cam Whyte joined the party with the Flyers’ third power-play goal. With 8:17 to go in the second, Zak Hicks sprung Tristan Keck on a short-handed breakaway for Winkler’s tenth goal of the game.
With just seconds left in the period, Flyers’ defenseman Nathan Karlowsky, who had not scored a goal since the end of the 2013-2014 season, scored on a shot from the point with two seconds left to give the Orange and Black an 11-0 lead through 40 minutes of play. Getting lost in the Flyers’ offensive outburst was the play of goaltender Connor Slipp who had stopped all 20 shots he faced in the first two periods.
The third period saw the Flyers tally three more times. Lawson McDonald scored the Flyers fourth power-play goal of the night and his first of the season, 1:39 into the period to put the Flyers ahead by an even dozen. Scott Gall tucked home his second of the game before the eight minute mark and Winkler was now ahead 13-0. With just over five minutes remaining, Cam Whyte banked in his second of the game and ninth of the year to give the Flyers a 14-0 lead.
It was quite the night for the Flyers on both sides of the puck. Not only did 18 of the Flyers 20 skaters record at least one point, they also earned their third shutout of the season. Connor Slipp improved his Flyers’ record to 4-0 with his first shutout in the MJHL. Winkler outshot Neepawa 52-27 overall.
The Flyers went 4-for-6 on the power-play and 6-for-6 on the penalty-kill.
Fourteen Flyers recorded multi-point games led by forward Scott Gall, who finished the game with five points (2 goals – 3 assists).
The Flyers finished the month of October with a 10-2-1 record and currently sit in second place in the MJHL standings with a 12-3-1 record overall. Winkler will travel to Selkirk on Tuesday night for their first meeting of the season against the Steelers. You can catch the game live on Country 88 and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com with Matt Friesen’s pregame show getting underway at 7:25pm.
Great Canadian Oil Change Three Stars
1st Star – G Connor Slipp – Winkler
2nd Star – F Tristan Keck – Winkler
3rd Star – F Scott Gall – Winkler