The Carnduff Red Devils and Bienfait Coalers have once again proved that they are the class of the Big Six Hockey League this season.
Six different members of the Coalers (7-0) found the back of the net in the team's 6-2 win over the Oxbow Huskies (2-4) at the Oxbow Arena on Dec. 2 with four of those goals coming in the third period. After the teams entered the final frame in a tight 2-1 matchup, Dustin Lawson beat Coalers goalie Landon Audet to tie the game 1:18 in. Bienfait then poured on the pressure with Dylan Lay, Matt Bourassa, Payden Benning and Tyson Price all scoring on Huskies netminder Riley Hengen.
The Red Devils (5-1-1) used a first-period outburst to beat the Carlyle Cougars 3-1 at the Carlyle Sports Arena that same evening. Carnduff's Trevor Geiger opened the scoring 3:16 into the game only to have Joel Mack tie the contest at the 5:24 mark. Matt Audette restored the Red Devils lead just 38 seconds later before adding the insurance marker late in the first period.
Carnduff used a third-period push one day later in their 8-4 win over the Midale Mustangs (2-5). With the game tied 4-4 entering the final 20 minutes, Blake McMillen, Nico Anderson and Landon Senchuk, with two, beat Mustangs goalie Jeff Davies. Red Devils goaltender Shane Marsh picked up the win between the pipes.
The Cougars (2-6) didn't fare any better in their next game falling 5-2 to the Yellow Grass Wheat Kings (3-3-2) at the Yellow Grass Communiplex on Dec. 4. The Wheat Kings' Corey Koski scored the winner with two minutes left to play in the second period and Mike Onstad potted the insurance marker before the middle frame was over.
The Wheat Kings win came on the heels of a 6-2 loss to the Wawota Flyers (2-3) at the Wawota Community Forum on Dec. 3. Flyers goaltender Scott Knelsen earned his first win of the season in the game, while Tanner Erickson suffered the loss for the Wheat Kings.
This weekend will be a busy one in the Big Six Hockey League. Bienfait is set for a heavyweight battle on Friday night when the Red Devils come to town. The Coalers also play the Redvers Rockets (4-2) at the Redvers Rec Centre on Saturday, while the Red Devils travel to Yellow Grass for a game on Sunday. Wawota will get in two games this weekend with a Friday tilt in Redvers before they play host to the Cougars on Saturday.
