Brandon Wheat Kings insider
1 January 1970 Brandon, Manitoba -- Close games were the order of the day Thursday as the Western Hockey League's Brandon Wheat kings opened up their 2006 Training Camp with four Rookie Scrimmage games.
All four of the games were decided by a goal including a 4-3 Overtime Shootout victory by Team Gold against the Black Team. Sanfred King, the Wheat Kings' first round selection in the 2005 WHL Bantam Draft, scored once in regulation time and then netted the game winning Shootout tally. Like King, Scott Glennie also scored a pair - one in regulation and the other during the Shootout. Glennie was Brandon's second round pick in this year's draft. At the tender age of 15, the 6' 165 lb Winnipeg product is not eligible to play in the Western League this coming season.
This game featured an excellent goaltending duel between two rookie puckstoppers bat tling for what they hope will be an opportunity to battle for the hockey club's back-up role. 16-year old Andrew Hayes made 32 saves while 17-year old Joseph Caligiuri turned aside thirty shots. Hayes was Brandon's third pick (57th overall) in the 2005 draft while Caligiuri was chosen in 2004.
The Wheat Kings enter the 2006-07 season with nineteen returning veterans, including goalkeepers Tyler Plante and Kurt Jory.
Gold was the lone team to win both of its games on Thursday. In an earlier contest, King scored once and set up another to lead them to a 4-3 win over the Blues in a tight defensive struggle. Brock Friesen scored what proved to be the game winner while Lucas Mikkelson of Chestermere, Alberta had two goals in a losing cause for Team Blue.
In the other two games played on opening day, Team White outscored Team Black 10-9 in overtime and it was the Blues getting past Team White 6-5.
Matt Calvert with three and Brayden Schenn with two, led the scoring parade for the Whites while Winnipeg's Brett Mencik had two goals and an assist for the Blacks.
In the day's finale, Jason Bowles's goal with 1:17 remaining lifted the Blues past the Whites. Nathan Green scored three times to pace the Blues while Brayden Schenn scored twice - his third and fourth goals in two games - in a losing cause for the Whites, who battled back from a 4-1 first period deficit.
Schenn, a 5'11" 188 lb 15-year old Saskatoon native, was Brandon's first pick and the ninth overall selection in this year's bantam draft in Calgary.
The club's Rookie Camp continues Friday morning with games at 9 a.m. and 11:15. A number of the rookies will then be added to Main Camp, which is scheduled to begin later in the day.
The Wheat Kings remind everyone that all scrimmages on Friday and Saturday are open to the public. As well, the club's office will be open from 9 - 5 p.m. Saturday for those fans wanting to come down and order their 2006-07 Season Tickets.
Source: oursportscentral
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