The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings bounced back from their low-scoring home-and-home on the weekend with Melville Wednesday night with a big win over the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox. Seven different players found the back of the net, and Angelo Zol made 29 saves as the Wings skated to a 7-2 win.
It would take a bit for the scoring to start, but the Red Wings would score in bunches at the Duncan McNeill Arena. It all started with a goal from Lucas Schmid, his fifth of the season, with 5:32 to play in the opening period. Liam Fitzgerald and Brendan Hunchak had the assists on the goal. Then, 80 seconds later, Blake Betson potted his 12th of the year, with Drew Molde and Carter Briltz recording the assists.
In the second period, Jerome Maharaj would net his 19th goal of the season at the 8:30 mark, assisted by Matthew Hodson.
Notre Dame responded shortly after when Carson Baylis got the puck past Zol 9:24 into the period, but the Red Wings weren’t done yet.
Captain Max Monette scored his team-leading 22nd of the year with 1:53 remaining in the middle frame, with Hodson and Nick Kovacs getting the assists. Then Briltz scored his 9th of the season 21 seconds after that, assisted by Rhett Vedress and Blake Betson.
In the third period, Notre Dame would add another goal, with Alexander Hollands finding the twine behind Zol, but that would be all of the offence the Hounds would muster for the game, as Weyburn put 24 shots on goal in the final period alone. A solid period from Johann Tremblay-Kau in the Notre Dame net would keep the score from getting out of hand. Despite his best efforts, Weyburn would add two more goals.
At the 7:36 mark of the third, Hunchak scored his fifth of the season, assisted by Schmid and Fitzgerald. Then, one second past the halfway mark of the third, Jacob Visentini would round out the scoring with his 15th of the year. Huncak and Maharaj had the assists.
With the win, the Red Wings are now two points away from clinching the 6th seed in the SJHL playoffs, and they will have the opportunity to do it against the Estevan Bruins in a home-and-home with their Highway 39 rivals.
The first game will be Friday night in Estevan, with the two teams meeting again in Weyburn, at Crescent Point Place, Saturday night for what will be the final game of the regular season for both squads.