Scott Gall found the back of the net three times as the Winkler Flyers got past the visiting Portage Terriers 4-1 on Wednesday night. The Flyers scored on the power-play, penalty-kill, even strength and an empty net marker to help them pick up their 15th win of the season.
Back at home after a weekend on the road, the Orange and Black welcomed the Portage Terriers for their third meeting of the season. In the previous two meetings, the home team got the victory. Winkler was hoping that trend would continue.
It was a good opening period for the Flyers, and just past the halfway point of the period, Winkler scored the game’s first goal. On the penalty-kill, Jeff Michiels out muscled the Terriers defense behind the net and passed the puck in front to Scott Gall who snapped a nine game goalless drought with his 11th goal of the season.
Outshooting their opponents 12-7 after the first period, the Flyers took their one goal lead into the second. The Terriers evened the score, 4:37 into the middle period, capitalizing on a turnover in the neutral zone. Winkler would regain the lead with 53 seconds left on the clock when Gall slapped home his second of the game. Connor Hamonic and Will Blake assisted on the goal, giving Winkler a 2-1 lead through 40 minutes.
The Flyers would add to their lead early in the third, when Coltyn Bates scored his fourth of the year on the power-play and Winkler was in front 3-1. Mitch Dyck and Ian Mackey drew the assists.
Late in the game, after a number of shifts of Portage pressure, the puck made its way to Gall in the neutral zone, and he scored his third of the game into the empty Portage net to complete the hat trick and give Winkler the 4-1 win.
Cole Weaver got the start in net for Winkler and played a fantastic game, making 24 saves in his ninth win of the year. The Flyers outshot Portage 31-25. Winkler was 1-for-2 on the power-play and 3-for-3 on the penalty-kill.
The Flyers (15-6-0) will travel to Winnipeg (7-10-2) on Thursday, November 10th for their third game of the season against the Blues. Puck drop at the MTS Iceplex is 7pm with Matt Friesen’s pregame show on Country 88.9FM and online at www.pembinavalleyonline.com getting underway at 6:55pm. Winkler is 2-0 against Winnipeg this season.
GREAT CANADIAN OIL CHANGE THREE STARS
1ST STAR – F SCOTT GALL (WINKLER)
2ND STAR – G COLE WEAVER (WINKLER)
3RD STAR – D MITCH DYCK (WINKLER)