Brandon, MB (CKLQ) – The Brandon Wheat Kings earned a single point in a 3-2 shootout loss to the Tri-City Americans on Sunday afternoon.
For the 12th time in 19 games, the Brandon Wheat Kings opened the scoring. With just 1:09 left on the clock, Stelio Mattheos found a loose puck in front of American’s netminder Beck Warm and hammered home his 18th of the year.
It was a frustrating 2nd period for the Wheat Kings who found themselves on the wrong side of a handful of calls from the officials and linesmen. Early in the period, Riley Sawchuk got lucky as he bounced one in off the pad of Jiri Patera. The goal from a nearly impossible angle tied the game at one.
Just seconds after the Wheat Kings killed a "questionable" penalty, the Americans took their first lead of the game off the stick of Blake Stevenson. As a result, the Wheat Kings found themselves trailing at the 2nd intermission for just the 3rd time all year.
In the third, Luka Burzan extended Brandon’s powerplay goal-scoring streak to nine games with his 13th of the season. The lone goal of the period sent this contest to overtime.
In the extra frame, the Americans outshot the Wheat Kings 5-1 but neither team could find the back of the net.
Both goaltenders were sharp in the shootout as each team used seven different shooters to decide the game. Isaac Johnson and Connor Bouchard scored for the Americans while Ben McCartney was the lone Wheat King to find the back of the net.
Jiri Patera was named the games first star after making 22 saves and 5 of 7 in the shootout. At the other end, Beck Warm stopped 22 shots as well but made 6 of 7 stops in the shootout for the win.
Brandon is back in action Friday night when the Medicine Hat Tigers come to town. (7:30 on QCountry Radio).
SCORING SUMMARY
1st PERIOD
BWK – Stelio Mattheos (18) (Schneider, McCartney) 18:51
Shots: 9-4 Brandon
2nd PERIOD
TC – Riley Sawchuk (8) (Bouchard) 2:29
TC – Blake Stevenson (3) (Bouchard, Sawchuk) 16:59
Shots: 8-5 Tri-City
3rd PERIOD
BWK – Luka Burzan (13) (Wytinck, McCorrister) 3:18 PPG
Shots: 9-7 Brandon
OVERTIME
No Scoring
Final Shots: 24-24