Early goals pace Wheat Kings past the Hurricanes

By Lethbridge Herald on November 12, 2021.

A pair of surrendered shorthanded goals proved costly for the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

The Hurricanes were downed 5-2 by the Brandon Wheat Kings in Western Hockey League play Thursday afternoon in Brandon to run their losing streak to six games.

The Canes were handed an early power play when Ridly Greig – the Wheaties captain who hails from Lethbridge – was assessed a checking from behind penalty 4:18 into the game.

But on the ensuing man advantage it was the Wheat Kings who cashed in – twice – as Landon Roberts scored eight seconds in before another Lethbridge product – Rylen Roersma – upped that lead to 2-0 on the same infraction.

The Canes pushed back in the final 40 minutes, outshooting the Wheat Kings 14-7 in the second period and 10-8 in the third – but Brandon was able to open up a 3-0 lead after the first on their way to the win that drops the Hurricanes to 5-9-0-0 this season

Riley Ginnell paced the Wheat Kings to a 3-0 lead after the first period and Brett Hyland increased that lead to 4-0 with 6:32 left in the second.

Hurricanes defencemen Logan McCutcheon and Joe Arntsen – on the power play – pulled Lethbridge to within two 8:33 into the third period, but Roberts drained his second of the afternoon into an empty with 32 seconds remaining to salt the win.

The Hurricanes outshot the Wheat Kings 33-23 and went 1-for-7 on the power play

Brandon was 0-for-3 on the man advantage.

Roersma added an assist for a two-point night.

Hurricanes goaltender Bryan Thomson stopped 18 of 22 shots, while Wheat Kings Ethan Kruger kicked out 31 of 33 shots.

The Hurricanes wrap up their road trip Saturday in Regina and Sunday in Moose Jaw.

They’re back home Nov. 19 when they host the Medicine Hat Tigers at the Enmax Centre at 7 p.m.

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