Just one night after the franchise’s 1700th win in the SJHL, the Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings picked up their 1701st as they doubled up the Yorkton Terriers 6-3. The win also opened up a seven-point edge over the Terriers for first in the Viterra Division.
“The first period there were some details that we really didn’t like, and I thought we had a great chat between periods, and the guys came out and did a really, really good job to execute what we discussed,” head coach Cody Mapes said after the game.
The Red Wings opened the scoring just 1:24 into the game when Cyprus Smith-Davis scored his 11th of the campaign. He was assisted on the goal by Jerome Maharaj and Simon Martin.
The Terriers replied when Jaron Desnoyers scored at 5:08 of the period, but Weyburn regained the lead late, as Josh Karman put his third of the season into the back of the net with 54 seconds left on the clock. Jaxson Ruthven and Ethan Dekay had the assists on the goal.
In the second period, the Red Wings would take things over, starting with two goals just 39 seconds apart. The first was at 6:02 of the middle frame, when Graigh LeGrandeur put the puck into the Terriers net while Weyburn was on the power play for his seventh of the year. Max Chakrabarti and Maharaj had the assists on the goal. Then, Drew Molde scored his sixth of the season assisted by Karman and Ryder Rommelaere.
The Terriers would get one goal back just past the halfway mark as Tyler Palin scored at the 10:58 mark, but the Red Wings replied with another power play goal.
This time, it would be Jaxson Ruthven scoring his 20th of the season with 5:53 left in the period, with Maharaj and Chakrabarti assisting. Ruthven then made it a 6-2 game as he scored his second of the game with 39 seconds left in the period. Lucas Schmid and Dekay assisted on the goal.
Things would get a little rough at that point, with a fight at the end of the second period. Matty Edwards would drop the gloves with Yorkton’s Riley Cormier. Both would end up getting five-minute majors and a game misconduct.
In the third period, the only goal would be from the Terriers as Harrison Aldridge beat Angelo Zol at the 8:09 mark. It wouldn’t be the end of the excitement in the game.
With just 29 seconds left, Molde would get into a fight with Evan Auld in the Terriers' end, and on the ensuing faceoff, Wyatt LaCoste shed the gloves with Thomas Ries.
Most of the Red Wings will now get a week of practice ahead of a home-and-home series with the Estevan Bruins, which starts in Estevan on Friday night. A few of the Red Wings, though, will be off to Winnipeg for the SJHL/MJHL Showcase.
Simon Martin will play on Team Blue, the SJHL’s U18 team. Zol, Chakrabarti, Dekay, Maharaj, and Ruthven will all play for Team Gold, one of the two U20 teams. Red Wings head coach Cody Mapes will coach this team.