The Brandon Midget ‘AAA’ Wheat Kings have stretched their winning streak to 15 games after collecting three more victories in Manitoba Midget ‘AAA’ Hockey League play last week.
The team defeated the Parkland Rangers 5-2 in Dauphin on Nov. 29, then knocked over the Winnipeg Thrashers 6-2 back home at the Brandon Community Sportsplex on Saturday.
Sunday, however, had the league’s two top teams clash in a game that would give Brandon a four-point advantage in the standings. The Wheat Kings defeated the Winnipeg Wild 4-3, but required a shootout to do it.
Both teams failed to score through the opening 20 minutes, but Winnipeg jumped ahead 1-0 when Kaden Bryant, Kyle Bettens and Mathew Shatsky teamed to beat Brandon goaltender Trent Miner 7:36 into the second frame.
Lynden McCallum responded for Brandon less than three minutes later, with Nolan Ritchie and Brett Paddock assisting.
The Wild regained the lead at 14:03 when Zachary Falck scored, but Ritchie tied the game at two with less than a minute remaining in the period.
McCallum gave Brandon the lead at 6:06 of the third, assisted by Dylan Halliday and Jake Thomson, but Eric Fawkes knotted the game again six and a half minutes later. That’s how it stayed through regulation time and the overtime period.
Ritchie, the Wheat Kings’ second shooter in the shootout, was successful in scoring and Miner was able to stop Bettens for the victory.
The Wheat Kings lead the league with 21 wins and two losses for 42 points. They are also league leaders in goals-for with 127 and sit second in goals against with 54. The Wild lead the league in the latter category with 48.
Brandon is on the road this weekend to face the Eastman Selects in Beausejour on Friday and the Interlake Lightning in Teulon on Saturday.