Midget Chiefs blank Interlake, fall to Central Plains

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Published on Thursday, December 15, 2016

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

The Yellowhead Chiefs claimed three of a possible four points in a pair of games over the weekend, helping them to take over top spot in the Manitoba AAA Midget Hockey League. The first game, played on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Shoal Lake, saw Yellowhead fall to the Central Plains Capitals in a shootout, by the final score of 4-3.

The Caps jumped out to an early advantage, scoring the first three goals of the game. The Chiefs, however, fought back late in the second with goals from Jacob Tibbatts and Cole Muir respectively. Mackenzie Belinski and Parker Johnson assisted on the Tibbatts marker, while Braden Gillies and Jaxon Heeney were credited with the helpers on the Muir goal.

Then at the mid-way point of the third, Mackenzie Belinski would tie things up at 3-3. Muir and Noah Geekie assisted on the equalizer. After a five minute overtime session, it had to be solved via shootout. A pair of Capitals were able to find the back of the net, while the Chiefs were blanked, giving the win to the visitors. 

Despite picking up a point in the standings, Yellowhead headed into its next game a little surly and looked to take that out on the visiting Interlake Lightning. The end result was a dominant 9-0 decision for the Chiefs. Josh Belcher lead the way for Yellowhead with a hat-trick. Eight other players contributed to the cause with two point efforts, while Jeremy Dutcawich picked up the win and the shutout, in a relatively quiet 11 save outing.

With those three points, Yellowhead (17-4-5) has leapfrogged the Winnipeg Wild (18-4-2) into first place in the standing, with 39 points. The next action for the Chiefs will be on Saturday, Dec. 17 in Brandon against the Wheat Kings. Yellowhead then returns home for a game against the Winnipeg Thrashers on Dec. 18.