The Winkler Flyers capped off their three game weekend road trip with a 6-3 win over the Wolverines, Sunday night in Waywayseecappo. The victory was the Flyers fourth in a row and seventh in their last eight outings.
After beating the Wolverines, 5-3 the night before in Wayway, the Flyers were trying to take six of a possible six points on the weekend after also beating the Stampeders in Swan River on Friday. For the third straight game, the Flyers got off to a good start and scored the game’s first goal.
Just 44 seconds into the game, Thomas Mansbridge tipped the Tyler Jubenvill point shot through the legs of goaltender Greg Harney to put Winkler in front 1-0. Not even five minutes later, Scott Gall skated around the Wayway net and slid the puck across the crease to Kurt Sonne, who scored his third goal in three games. Kayden Jarvis also assisted on the Flyers’ second goal of the night. The assist increased Gall’s point streak to eight games.
With 7:38 to play before intermission, Cartwright native Ty Enns cut Winkler’s lead to 2-1 with the Wolverines first goal of the night. For the first time in six games, the Flyers took a lead into the second period while outshooting Wayway 15-6 through the first 20 minutes.
The flow of the second period was hampered with a number of penalties taken by both clubs. But after a few shifts of even strength play, the line of Jason Cohan, Braden Billaney and Nolan McGuire had a good shift resulting in another Winkler goal. With the Flyers forchecking hard, an errant Wolverines pass deflected off the back of the net and right to Cohan who potted his fourth to restore the Flyers two goal lead with 6:18 left in the period.
However, with just under four minutes to go in the second, Wayway took advantage of a Winkler turnover in the neutral zone and went in and scored their second goal to cut Winkler’s lead to 3-2.
Early in the third period the Wolverines pulled even 3-3, but Winkler was quick to get that one back. Just before the three minute mark of the third, Scott Gall carried the puck towards the net and snapped in the go ahead goal, and the Flyers were back in front 4-3. Lawson McDonald and Kurt Sonne assisted on Gall’s 23rd of the year and seventh in his last eight games.
Near the midway point of the period, the Flyers caught a break which increased their lead to 5-3. Coming down the left wing, Jordy Williamson rolled the puck on goal and instead of clearing the puck into the corner, the Wayway goaltender accidentally knocked it into his own net. It was Williamson’s 13th of the year.
Winkler added another one with 5:42 left in regulation. Seeing Jordan Wall step out of the penalty box, Tyler Jubenvill hit him with a stretch pass up near the Wayway blueline. Carrying the puck down the right wing side, Wall fed it over to a sprinting Jeff Michiels who went in a scored his 13th to put the Flyers in front 6-3.
That is how the game would end as the Flyers finished their three game weekend road trip with three wins, increasing their overall record to 33-11-3 (3rd Place). After starting the month of January without a win in their first four games, the Flyers finished strong, completing the month of January with a 7-4-1 record.
Connor Slipp played well, increasing his overall record to 15-4. The 19 year old netminder made 34 saves as the Flyers outshot Waywayseecappo 39-37. Winkler went 0-for-2 on the power-play and 4-for-4 on the penalty-kill.
The Flyers will return to the ice on Friday, February 5th when they host the Swan Valley Stampeders. Puck drop at the Winkler Recreation Complex is 7:30pm with advance tickets available at the Winkler Coop Gas Bar. Winkler is 5-0 against the Stampeders this season.
Great Canadian Oil Change Three Stars
1st Star – F Scott Gall (Winkler)
2nd Star – F Kurt Sonne (Winkler)
3rd Star – D Tyler Jubenvill (Winkler)
Winkler Canvas Hardest Working Flyer
F – Coltyn Bates