WEYBURN, Sask. — Callas Pierce recorded a hat trick as the Weyburn Red Wings extended their winning streak to six games with a 5-2 victory over the La Ronge Ice Wolves on Saturday night.
Playing in front of a boisterous home crowd at the Whitecap Resources Centre, the Red Wings improved their overall regular-season record to 9-3. Weyburn has 18 points and sits securely in first place in the Viterra Division and is tied with Warman for first overall in the SJHL.
The Red Wings set the tone early in the first period, building a 3-0 lead. Hayden Iron Shirt opened the scoring just 56 seconds into the game, finding the back of the net with assists from Aidan Mohan and Jase McNichol.
Pierce then took over, scoring his first goal with 9:27 to play in the opening frame with the help of Teigan Semchyshen. He added his second of the night with 1:53 to go, assisted by Adam Savage Keller, to give the home team a commanding advantage heading into the first intermission.
“We started well,” Red Wings coach Cody Mapes said. “Didn't love the way we finished last night, so our start tonight was going to be important.”
However, the Ice Wolves fought back in the second period, capitalizing on a string of Weyburn penalties to shift the momentum. Weyburn ended the night with 18 minutes on nine penalties throughout the game, putting their penalty kill to the test.
La Ronge's Grayden Perozni put his team on the board at 3:22 with a power-play goal, assisted by Ray MacDougall and Tyce Penrod. Later in the period, Everett Merchant scored another power-play marker at 11:22, narrowing the deficit to 3-2. Carter Turchak and Easton Kozak picked up the assists on Merchant's goal.
Mapes acknowledged the lapse in play during the middle frame.
“Naturally, 18- and 19-year-olds take their foot off the gas and we kind of, you know, quit competing, quit skating for 10 or 12 minutes, and then we got her going again at the end of the second period,” Mapes said.
Despite giving up two power-play goals, the Weyburn penalty kill successfully stopped six of La Ronge's eight power-play opportunities. The Red Wings were unable to convert on their own man advantages, finishing 0-for-5 on the power play.
“Our special teams have been unbelievable,” Mapes said. “Our power play, they kind of get the flowers, if you will, but our PK has been unbelievable the last two weeks here, and so that's really built a lot of momentum for us.”
In the third period, Weyburn regained control. Pierce completed his hat trick at 5:58, finishing off a play set up by Jaxson Doyle to make it 4-2.
“I think just my line, you know, it's been kind of a continuous thing,” Pierce said of his offensive outburst. “We've been working really hard in practice and I think we're just starting to find it, and full credit to my linemates for getting me that one tonight.”
Dion Schraeder secured the 5-2 final score with an empty-net goal with 40 seconds remaining.
Red Wings goaltender Nate Stevens anchored the victory, making 24 saves. At the other end of the ice, La Ronge netminder Riley Zezel stopped 25 of the 29 shots he faced.
The loss drops the Ice Wolves to a 1-8 record. La Ronge remains at the bottom of the UPL Division with two points and is now mired in a seven-game losing streak. The team will look to bounce back on Sunday when they finish up their road trip with a matinee matchup against the Estevan Bruins. The Ice Wolves will face an Estevan team that also holds a 1-8 record and two points, placing them fourth in the Viterra Division.
For the Red Wings, who have now won eight of their last 10 games, the focus remains on continuing their strong play on home ice.
Pierce noted that recent road trips have been instrumental in their success.
“You see each other basically 24 hours of the day aside from sleeping,” he said. “Chemistry builds.”
Weyburn will return to action on Wednesday, hosting the Yorkton Terriers at the Whitecap Resources Centre. The Terriers currently sit third in the Viterra Division with nine points and a 4-5-1 record.
“We got to get some rest here, day off tomorrow and then get back to it,” Mapes said of the upcoming schedule. “It's a tough week next week, so we got to make sure we're dialled in here for Monday.”
Following the game against Yorkton, the Red Wings have their annual sports dinner scheduled for Thursday night featuring former NHLers Mike Commodore and Andre Roy.
“Last year was a good time, and this year we got two different guys and both pretty good characters, so I'm excited for what's about to come,” Pierce said.
Mapes views the event as a valuable opportunity for the roster to bond.
“Thursday night's just going to be a time for our guys to get together and learn a little bit about the history of the game and, you know, just be in the community with some people,” Mapes said. “It'll be great.”
