Broncos/Wheatkings

[Scout]

Broncos earn single point in Brandon


STEVEN MAH
The Southwest Booster


The Swift Current Broncos earned a much needed single point after a 5-4 shootout loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings on the road Friday evening. The Broncos earned only their third point in their past eight games after loosing six of seven including their recent four game losing streak.

The Broncos failed to hold leads of 2-0, 3-1, and 4-3 and eventually lost in a shootout when all three shooter failed to score.

Broncos 17-year-old defenseman Eric Doyle opened the scoring 1:26 into the game with a powerplay goal. The goal was Doyle's sixth on the season and third in a Broncos uniform in 10 games since being acquired from Everett at the WHL's trade deadline.

Daniel Rakos stretched the Broncos lead to two goals when he beat Tyler Plante for his 13th goal of the season, an even strength marker at the 12:43 mark.

The Broncos took a 2-0 lead into the second period but Brandon's Cody Burki cut it to 2-1 when he scored his 26th goal only 59 seconds into the middle frame.

Swift Current answered right back when 18-year-old forward Spencer McAvoy scored 43 seconds later to restore the Broncos two goal lead. McAvoy's fourth goal of the season was his first since he scored on Nov. 15th versus the Wheat Kings.

The WHL's second leading goal scorer Mark Derlago scored the Wheat Kings second goal when he tallied his 34th goal of the season at the 7:39 mark.

Bryan Kauk scored his fifth of the season for the Wheat Kings just over three minutes later to knot the game at 3-3.

19-year-old forward Brady Leavold put the Broncos back in front with his 13th goal of the season on the powerplay at the 13:17 mark of the middle frame.

Jeff Topilko ended the Broncos hopes of taking a 4-3 lead into the second intermission when he beat Kyle Moir for his tenth goal of the season to send the two teams to the dressing rooms tied 4-4.

After all the offense in the second period, both teams settled down and played a scoreless period in which the Wheat Kings outshot the Broncos 7-6 to give them the 28-27 advantage through sixty minutes of play.

Overtime solved nothing sending the game to a shootout in which all three Broncos shooters would fail to find the back of the net. The Broncos first two shooters Geordie Wudrick and Leavold both failed to beat Plante.

After Kyle Moir stopped Derlago he was beaten by Andrew Clark to force Levi Nelson to score. Nelson was unable to score, handing the Broncos their second shootout loss in seven tries this season.

Broncos goaltender Kyle Moir made 27 saves on 31 shots to leave his record at 13-19-0-1.

Plante made 25 saves on 29 shots to improve his record to 21-12-2-6.

The Broncos powerplay scored twice on four opportunities while the Wheaties failed to capitalize on three man-advantages.

The win improves the East Division leading Wheat Kings record to 28-17-2-7.

The shootout loss drops the Broncos record to 24-27-1-2 and puts them into a three-way tie for second spot with Regina and Prince Albert.

Saturday the Broncos are in Regina to face the Pats who hold three games in hand on the Broncos.

[Scout]

Keen's Korner

Saturday, February 03, 2007
Something To Build On

BRANDON - Not a lot of time for a recap this afternoon, the team loads up in 30 minutes to head down the highway to Regina to meet the Pats tonight. It's a three-way 2nd place tie with Regina and Prince Albert in the east division after last night's 5-4 shootout loss.

The Broncos played a solid game for the most part, to get the single point in the shootout loss. The only glitch was a wide-open, coast-to-coast odd man rush extravaganza in the 2nd period with the Wheaties scoring all four of their goals to the Broncos pair.

The first period was all Broncos, two goals and three posts as they came at the Wheat-Kings. Eric Doyle bounced home a one-time on the PP early in the frame and then Danny Rakos scored on a back-hand on a partial break-away.

After a wide open 2nd period where the teams combined for six goals, the teams were tied 4-4 into the third. It was lock-down mode from that point as each time didn't want to make a crucial mistake. Overtime was almost uneventful which led to the shootout. Bronco shooters Wudrick (hit the left post), Leavold (stopped low glove), and Nelson (wide), allowed a lone goal from Andrew Clark on the backhand to be the shootout winner.

Broncos and the high flying Pats tonight - a team seemingly playing their best hockey of the year. We're on the air at 6:30pm with the Big Show, play-by-play at 7pm.

Stay warm in Swifty, it's -32 in Brandon this hour without the windchill.

Jon

[Johnsy05]

Tonights game is so crucial... the boys will have to build off that game last night and go into regina and steal one lets hope we can pull it off as the race is tightened right up as swifty, regina and P.A all have 51 points but both teams have game(s) in hand on us.