The Swift Current Broncos withstood a late Kootenay ICE rally to win 4-3 Monday afternoon at the Credit Union i-Plex.
Two ICE players cashed in with their first WHL goals, but a trio of tallies from Swift Current in the third period helped the hosts to the victory.
The Broncos led 1-0 after 20 minutes of play, going ahead just after the two minute mark on a backhand shot from forward Kaden Elder. The Swift Current forward took advantage of a broken play in front of Kootenay netminder Jakob Walter, firing a shot just past the 17 year-old’s glove hand.
The roles were reversed in period two as the ICE outshot the Broncos 14-7, tying the game 9:55 into the middle stanza when rookie blueliner Nikita Radzivilyuk put home his first goal in the WHL. The Russian rearguard snuck down the right wing, taking a hard cross-crease pass from forward Matt Alfaro before lifting the puck over an outstretched Taz Burman. The two sides were knotted 1-1 after 40 minutes.
Swift Current struck three times in an eight-minute span in the third, taking the lead early when forward Conner Chaulk pounced on a loose puck in the Kootenay crease, jamming home his first goal of the season. Sophomore winger Arthur Miller extended the Swift Current lead to 3-1 just under three minutes later at 6:06, zipping a snapshot to the top corner from the slot.
St. Louis prospect Glenn Gawdin put the hosts ahead by three with 8:30 to play when he deflected a Colby Sissons point shot through Walter’s legs from just outside the crease.
The ICE rallied late, however, cutting the lead to 4-2 on a power-play inside the final two minutes. Defenseman Ryan Pouliot’s point blast was saved by Burman, but first-year forward Michael King found a rebound and poked a loose puck into the Broncos cage. Blueliner Dallas Hines brought Kootenay back to within one with 27.4 seconds left on a one-timer set up by Dylan Stewart from the side of the net.
Swift Current held on for the final half-minute as the ICE pressured, the visitors coming closest in the dying seconds when a puck bounced past defenseman Cale Fleury at the side of the Broncos net.
Walter made 26 saves, including 12 in the first period, in his second career start. Burman turned aside 23 shots for Swift Current.
Seven of the first eight games played by Kootenay this season have been decided by one goal.
HADDAD FINANCIAL SERVICES 3 STARS:
1. Conner Chaulk, Swift Current
2. Kaden Elder, Swift Current
3. Cole Johnson, Swift Current
UP NEXT: the ICE will play six of the next seven games on home ice, beginning with visits from the Regina Pats Friday and Red Deer Rebels Saturday. Both games start at 7:00 pm at Western Financial Place.
