Wednesday, January 12 - Portland Winterhawks at Brandon Wheat Kings

Portland Winterhawks at Brandon Wheat Kings

The WHEAT KINGS return home Wednesday night to face off against the PORTLAND WINTER HAWKS, before taking to the highway for a two-game weekend series against the third place RAIDERS in PRINCE ALBERT…BRANDON is coming off a weekend that saw the WHEAT KINGS win one and lose one…After dropping a 3-0 decision to the visiting RAIDERS on Friday night, BRANDON bounced back Sunday afternoon scoring a 1-0 victory over the hometown PATS in REGINA…Captain TIM KONSORADA scored the game winning goal at the 5:54 mark of the third period while rookie netminder TYLER PLANTE blocked 20 shots in recording his third shutout of the 2004-05 campaign…The win, coupled with SASKATOON’S 6-2 win over PRINCE ALBERT, leaves the WHEATS eleven points behind the Eastern Division leading BLADES with a record of 20-3-5-1…BRANDON is 4-3-0 since Christmas; 7-3-0 in it’s last ten games…At home, the WHEAT KINGS are 12-5-1-1 while on the road the WHEAT KINGS are .500 (8-8-4)…With Friday’s loss, BRANDON became the final WHL team to be shutout this season.

PLANTE SHINES BETWEEN THE PIPES: With Sunday afternoon’s shutout in REGINA, his third of the season, TYLER PLANTE has vaulted past TREVOR ROBINS, TREVOR KIDD, BLAINE PETERSON and JACK GILROY and into a tie with ROBERT MCVICAR for eighth place on the WHEAT KINGS’ all time list for shutouts…In 24 games this season, PLANTE has posted a 2.60 goals against average (second only to PRINCE GEORGE’S REAL CYR among rookies) as well as a league leading .910 save percentage…His sixteen victories and three shutouts also leads all WHL freshmen this season.

WHO ELSE IS HOT? Despite going two games without a point, right-winger ERIC FEHR has managed to score sixteen goals and 26 points in his last 18 games. He also leads the WHL with 35 goals and is well on his way to reaching the 50-goal plateau for the second consecutive season. The last one to do it was KELLY GLOWA, who scored 59 in ’81-82 before firing 71 the following year…FEHR and linemate RYAN STONE are currently tied for fourth in WHL scoring with 53 points each – one back of COLTON YELLOWHORN of LETHBRIDGE, SASKATOON’S RYAN KELLER and GILBERT BRULE of the VANCOUVER GIANTS…Despite having a 5-game point scoring streak snapped Friday vs. PRINCE ALBERT, STEVEN LATER is fifth in the WHL among defenceman with 31 points – two behind CAM BARKER of the MEDICINE HAT TIGERS…LANCE MONYCH has eight goals in his last ten games.

WHEATIES ACQUIRE DAY: In a move designed with the WHL playoffs in mind, the WHEAT KINGS have announced the acquisition of 19-year old defenceman RILEY DAY from the defending champion MEDICINE HAT TIGERS…Before going down with a bruised kidney in December, the 6’3” 218 lb Brandon product was 1-2-3 with 54 penalty minutes…In 154 career WHL games, the former third round bantam draft pick is 8-18-26-342 PIM.In exchange for DAY, who the WHEAT KINGS hope to have in the lineup by March, the TIGERS received a fourth round draft choice and the rights to forward KEVIN UNDERSHUTE.

MILESTONES: RYAN STONE played his 200th career WHL game on December 17th…LANCE MONYCH collected his 200th career WHL point in last Saturday’s loss in SWIFT CURRENT…16-year old rookie MIKE CANN scored his first ever WHL goal on December 10th against MEDICINE HAT…Another rookie blueliner, THERAN YEO scored his first ever WHL point – an assist – on Dec. 27th vs. REGINA… TIM KONSORADA has moved past JEFF ODGERS and into eighth place on the WHEAT KINGS’ all time list for games played (279).

SPECIAL TEAMS: BRANDON’S powerplay continues to lead the league (52-211 – 24.6%)…ERIC FEHR leads the WHL with 18 powerplay markers…Penalty killing, the WHEATS are 12th in the league (83.5%)…STONE is tied for the league lead with three shorthanded tallies.

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