The U18 AAA Weyburn Gold Wings were back home Wednesday night for an exhibition game, as they welcomed the Southern Alberta Hockey Academy to Crescent Point Place. The game would see fast action going in both directions, but ultimately it would be SAHA coming out on top as they skated to a 3-1 win.
"They're a good, fast team and they know how to move the puck," Gold Wings captain Kiah Shields said of their opponent. "So, us picking up our pace and keeping our heads up is just something that we have to go off of a learning curve, and pick that up as well."
The game was also a homecoming for one of the coaches of SAHA. Their assistant coach, Jane Kish, is originally from Weyburn and helped backstop the Gold Wings to a national title in 2014.
"It was a little different," Kish said of being on the visitor side of the arena. "It was super fun, though, I was really excited for the girls to get to experience the rink, but then also kind of a hometown... well, hometown for me, atmosphere."
Southern Alberta would get on the board just 27 seconds in when the puck took an awkward bounce off the side of the net and was redirected past Amy Swayze. Kamryn Reiber would be credited with the goal.
Then, with 32 seconds left to play in the first period, SAHA made it a 2-0 game when Jaylee Skog scored.
Weyburn responded in the second period, as Hallie Parada found the back of the net while the Gold Wings were shorthanded. Her goal with 7:43 to play in the second would be unassisted.
In the third period, the two teams exchanged chances, including one that somehow stayed out of the SAHA net in the dying seconds. However, a last-second empty-net goal by Marley Howes would ensure the win for the visitors.
The Gold Wings will be off this coming weekend before returning to action on October 26th when they travel to Swift Current to face the Wildcats.
For Kish and SAHA, they are off to a tournament in Blaine, Minnesota this coming weekend where they will be playing four games.
The next home game for the Gold Wings won't be until November 16th, when they host Dakota College out of Bottineau, North Dakota at Crescent Point Place.