U18 ROUNDUP: Wheat Kings enter break atop standings

BOYS

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

Jaxson Brick scored the overtime winner as the first-place Wheat Kings (23-4-2) finished up the first half of their Manitoba U18 AAA Hockey League season with a 4-3 triumph over the sixth-place Winnipeg Thrashers (15-12-2) on Sunday at Seven Oaks Community Centre.

Roan Michalchuk sniped twice for the Wheat Kings, with Brady Taylor adding the other goal.

Brady Low made 19 saves for Brandon, with Tate Barnaby blocking 37 shots for Winnipeg.

The second half begins for Brandon when they visit the Parkland Rangers at Dauphin’s Credit Union Centre on Friday, Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

SOUTHWEST COUGARS

The third-place Cougars (19-7-4) visited Yellowhead and hosted the fourth-place Winnipeg Wild (19-6-2) in their final pre-Christmas action.

On Sunday at Souris/Glenwood Memorial Complex, Justin Perreault earned a 20-save shutout for the Wild in a 4-0 decision, while Micky Gross made 39 saves for Southwest.

On Friday at Shoal Lake Communiplex, it was Gross with the 24-save shutout in a 4-0 Cougars victory.

Connor Rapley made 37 saves but was beat by Riley Fluker, Bryan Laing, Connor Homesen and Taylor Lockhart.

Southwest begins the New Year with a trip to Southdale Community Centre to meet the Winnipeg Bruins on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 4 p.m., and hosts the Parkland Rangers at Souris/Glenwood Memorial Complex on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 6 p.m.

YELLOWHEAD CHIEFS

After the game against Southwest, the 13th-place Chiefs (3-22-1) finished up the first half by visiting the Thrashers.

On Saturday at Seven Oaks Community Centre, Rapley made 40 saves for Yellowhead, with Hudson Hunnie blocking 25 shots for Winnipeg.

Tyson Bridge, Isaac McArthur and Konnor Klemick lit the lamp for the Chiefs.

The New Year begins for the Chiefs with the Thrashers travelling to the Shoal Lake Communiplex for games on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m., and Sunday, Jan. 5 at 1 p.m.

PARKLAND RANGERS

The fifth-place Rangers (16-12-0) completed the first half of their season by hosting the 12th-place Central Plains Capitals (7-21-0).

On Sunday at Dauphin’s Credit Union Place, Alex Campbell netted a hat trick while Landyn Garton scored twice in a 7-4 triumph.

Kyle Pelletier made 34 saves for Parkland, with Everett Winters blocking 48 shots for Central Plains.

Parkland begins 2025 by hosting Brandon on Friday, Jan.3 at 7:30 p.m., and they visit the Souris/Glenwood Memorial Complex to meet Southwest on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 6 p.m.

GIRLS

BRANDON WHEAT KINGS

On their final weekend before Christmas, the seventh-place Wheat Kings (5-9-1) headed out on the road to meet the third-place Winnipeg Ice (11-4-2), the second-place Eastman Selects (17-1-2) and the ninth-place Interlake Lightning (2-13-3) in the Manitoba Female Hockey League U18 AAA.

On Sunday at Stonewall’s Veterans Memorial Sports Complex, Danica Averill made 48 saves in a 1-0 shootout loss to the Lightning while Orieanna Kennedy earned a 32-save shutout.

On Saturday at Niverville Recreation Centre, Averill piled up 50 saves while Brandon fell 2-0 to Eastman.

Addison Tomes stopped all 10 shots she faced.

On Friday at Hockey For All Centre, Bailey Grunewald blanked Brandon with 15 saves in a 6-0 Ice victory.

Shannon Hees and Averill split the game between the pipes, recording a combined 42 saves.

The league resumes play on Friday, Jan. 3, with Brandon visiting the Interlake Lightning in Warren at 7:30 p.m.

They return to Brandon for the next two days, with games at J&G Homes Arena against the Central Plains Capitals on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7:30 p.m., and the Eastman Selects on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 3:30 p.m.

YELLOWHEAD CHIEFS

The fourth-place Chiefs (11-8-0) hosted the fifth-place Pembina Valley Hawks (9-12-0) and the first-place Winnipeg Avros (18-1-2) at the Shoal Lake Communiplex.

On Sunday, Jordyn Veitch and Chloe Facey scored in a 2-1 win over the Avros, while Clair Merckx stopped 35 shots.

On Saturday, the Chiefs won 4-1 as Grace Kirk, Facey, Rose Cochrane and Jayce Oakden hit the net.

Merckx turned aside 30 shots.

In the New Year, the Chiefs head out on the road for three games, visiting Portage la Prairie’s BDO Centre for the Community to meet Central Plains on Friday, Jan. 3 at 7:45 p.m., the Hockey For All Centre to play the Winnipeg Ice on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 4:45 p.m., and Stonewall’s Veterans Memorial Sports Complex to skate against the Interlake Lightning on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2:30 p.m.

WESTMAN WILDCATS

The sixth-place Wildcats (8-9-2) finished up the first half at Hartney Arena against the Avros and the Ice.

On Sunday, Callie Hilhorst and Ivy Perkin scored for the Wildcats but the Ice won 4-2.

Indigo Stone made 39 saves for Westman.

On Saturday, Stone made 31 saves in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Avros.

Lucy Waldner scored the lone Westman goal.

The Wildcats come out of the break with a pair of games at Hartney Arena, hosting the Eastman Selects on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7:30 p.m., and the Pembina Valley Hawks on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 2 p.m.

» The Brandon Sun