The Civic Centre was the locale Friday for another of the high-scoring and high-fighting affairs that the Saskatchewan Prairie league has become famous for.
The Radisson Wheatkings ended up on the short end of an 8-5 final score to the Meota Combines to kick off the weekend of action.
Leading the way in the game was Kyle Gregoire who scored three goals, one of them on a penalty shot early in the second period.
While the game was a close one most of the way, in the end too many costly penalties at inopportune times came back to haunt Radisson.
The teams traded goals throughout the opening frame. It was Dana Derbowka who put the Wheatkings into the lead just seconds into the first period. But the Combines tied it up on Daxen Collins' unassisted goal midway through the period.
Radisson took the lead again on Dan Laviolette's goal, with Brendan Buller assisting. But Kyle Gregoire's first of the evening, with Collins assisting, tied it up with 3:33 left.
Laviolette's second of the contest restored the Radisson lead with 1:46 left in the second. But soon after, and with Radisson shorthanded due to a Brendan Buller tripping penalty, a long shot from near the blue line by Derek Welford careened right past Radisson netminder Jon Rose and into the net.
Assists went to Michael Pylypow and Ryan McKay. The scoreboard was all even at 3-3 after one period.
Early in the second, the Wheatkings went back in front as Richard Bradshaw lifted the puck up and past Meota goaltender Dallas Wright, into the net. Troy Rookes and Connor Wainright assisted for Radisson.
But another costly call to Radisson came when Gregoire was hauled down, resulting in a penalty shot being awarded to the Combines at the 4:38 mark.
Gregoire then fired home his second of the game to knot it up at 4-4.
Meota then took the lead at the 6:53 mark as McKay scored from Pylypow. Then midway through the period Gregoire notched his hat trick goal with Collins assisting, giving Meota a two-goal lead.
Early in the third the Wheatkings and Combines traded goals, with Wainright's goal for Radisson quickly cancelled out by Daxen Collins' marker to make it 7-5 Meota.
An additional goal by Collins with 9:45 left, with Gregoire and Dayne Iverson assisting, completed Collins' own hat trick on the night and gave the Combines all the insurance they needed.
With the win the Combines kept pace with the rest of the pack at the top of the SPHL while Radisson remained mired in ninth spot with four wins on the season.
Next up for the Combines is a Thursday night contest against Shellbrook at home at the Civic Centre.
Elsewhere, the Battleford Beaver Blues picked up a 9-2 win over the Spiritwood Timberwolves Friday at the Battleford Arena.
They’ll visit Radisson Wednesday before hosting the Wheatkings Saturday night.
