The Richardson Pioneer Weyburn Red Wings were looking to bounce back from Wednesday’s loss when they took the ice at Crescent Point Place Friday night. It was the team's first game at home since November 29th. The visiting Melville Millionaires has other ideas, though, capitalizing on their opportunities to beat the Red Wings 4-1.
“You know, that’s a game we expect a lot more out of,” said head coach Cody Mapes after the game. “We expect a lot more out of our leaders, our high-end guys. They’ve got to drive the boat for us and tonight that didn’t happen.”
The Millionaires opened the scoring with a goal late in the first period, as Cole Larocque tipped the puck past Boston Gelowitz, making his third start for the Red Wings, with just over four minutes remaining. Melville would then make it a 2-0 game with just0.9 seconds left on the clock.
Carter McKay intercepted a clearing pass, catching Gelowitz off-guard.
In the second period, the Millionaires would make it a 2-0 game just 24 seconds in, as Jake Spak scored his fifth of the season.
The Red Wings, however, would end getting on the board before the end of the period.
With just nine seconds left to play in the second, Ethan Whillans managed to bank the puck in from behind the net, getting it by Millionaires’ goalie Jared Thompson. Nick Dobson and Luke Schaeffer assisted on the goals.
In the third, the Wings pressured to look for a pair of goals to equalize, but the Millionaires managed to keep Weyburn off the board. The game was sealed when Nicolas Samson scored an empty-net goal with 1:07 to play in the game.
The Red Wings will now get set for the Estevan Bruins Saturday night. This game will be the second game of the Highway 39 Cup Best of Three series, and it is also the last game for both teams before the end of the regular season.