RECAP: Wheat Kings slip past Pats in final pre-season contest
Photo by Keith Hershmiller Photography
Regina, Sask. – The Regina Pats wrapped up their 2024 pre-season with a tight 3-1 loss to the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday at the Brandt Centre.
The Pats and Wheat Kings were tied 1-1 up until the final eight minutes of the contest where Nicholas Johnson gave the Wheat Kings their second lead of the game, now 2-1. Pats goaltender Kelton Pyne kept the the team in the game throughout the night, making several incredible saves to keep the Pats within one.
The Wheat Kings held a 1-0 lead through the majority of the game, and Pyne’s timely saves allowed the Pats to tie it in the final minute of the second with Whitehead scoring his first of the pre-season.
POST-GAME INTERVIEW WITH PATS ASST. COACH KEN SCHNEIDER
POST-GAME INTERVIEW WITH ZACH LANSARD
FINAL SCORE: Wheat Kings 3, Pats 1
THE GOALS
First Period
1-0 Brandon at 15:14 – Joby Baumuller (1), assisted by Giorgios Pantelas & Dylan McFadyen // Baumuller found himself behind the Pats’ defence and broke in alone on Kelton Pyne and neatly tucked the puck five-hole past the Pats netminder to make it 1-0 Wheat Kings late in the first period.
Second Period
1-1 Pats at 19:05 – Braxton Whitehead (1), assisted by Cole Temple (PP) // Temple got past a falling Wheat Kings defender and broke in on a two-on-one where he found Whitehead in front where he put it past Dylan McFadyen to tie the contest up at 1-1.
Third Period
2-1 Brandon at 12:34 – Nicholas Johnson (2), assisted by Nolan Flamand & Adam Belusko // Flamand chipped the puck over to Johnson who had time and fired the puck blocker side past Pyne to give the Wheat Kings a 2-1 lead.
3-1 Brandon at 17:28 – Carter Klippenstein (1), unassisted // Klippenstein got a step on the Pats defence and broke in alone on Pyne. He then tucked it past the Pats netminder to extend the lead to 3-1.
THE STATISTICS
SOG: Regina – 12-5-7–24 | Brandon – 9-7-10–26
PP: Regina – 1/4 | Brandon – 0/5
THE GOALTENDING BATTLE
Regina: Kelton Pyne (23 saves / 26 shots)
Brandon: Dylan McFadyen (23 saves / 24 shots)
THE 3 STARS
First: Kelton Pyne (23 Saves) – Pats
Second: Dylan McFadyen (23 Saves) – Wheat Kings
Third: Nicholas Johnson (1G) – Wheat Kings
COMING UP
The Pats open the 2024-25 season on the road in Prince Albert on September 20th. The Pats home opener is September 21st against the Brandon Wheat Kings with a 6pm puck drop! Tickets for the home opener can be found HERE!
