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WHL Brandon Wheat Kings

Top Trio Shines as Wheat Kings Edge Raiders

September 27, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Brandon Wheat Kings News Release


Five of the six meetings between the Brandon Wheat Kings and Prince Albert Raiders in 2022-23 were one-goal contests. Fittingly, so was the first meeting of 2023-24. Thanks to their high-octane first line, the Wheat Kings got the better of this one.

Roger McQueen scored twice and Carter Klippenstein and Nolan Flamand scored once each as the Wheat Kings beat the Raiders 4-3. Ethan Eskit stopped 24 of 27 shots he faced, surrendering goals to Grady Martin, Krzysztof Macias, and Oli Chenier.

"We started the game pretty sleepily, especially the first twelve minutes of the game," said head coach and GM Marty Murray. "I thought we got better, especially in the second period. We got into a little penalty trouble but found a way to get it done."

Despite the sleepy start and an early Raiders' shot advantage, the Wheat Kings struck first. Flamand spun and fired and sent the puck through a screen from the right circle, fooling Hildebrand as it snuck through a maze of bodies in front of him.

The Raiders answered, as Martin scored on a screened shot of his own, but the top line of Flamand, Rylen Roersma, and Dominik Petr, went to work in response. Petr fed Roersma in the slot, and rather than fire it too quickly as Hildebrand challenged, he slid the puck back to McQueen for a tap in.

"The puck was kind rolling on my stick and the defense was creeping over into my shot lane," said Roersma. "I thought I could thread the needle through his feet and I found Roger's blade so he could put the puck in the back of the net."

A 2-on-1 chance turned to gold for the Wheat Kings in the second period, as Klippenstein looked shot the whole way and snapped one off the inside of the far post. Then the top trio showed off their chemistry again, as another three-way passing play ended with Roersma putting it on a tee for McQueen in the slot off the rush.

"They've been really, really good," said Murray. "In all the games they've been all over the scoresheet and they're feeding off each other. Obviously they've got some chemistry."

The Raiders made things interesting. First, Ryder Richie fed Macias for a quick finish on a sudden developing 2-on-1 down low. Then, spinning into a shot as the puck rolled on him, Chenier chopped home his first WHL goal. The Wheat Kings never let the Raiders get any closer than that, however, as they clamped down defensively to close out the win.

Next up for the Wheat Kings is another journey to Moose Jaw to face the Warriors. That game starts at 8:00 Central Time on Friday, September 29.

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