Thorpe’s big game leads Wheat Kings over ICE

17-year-old Ty Thorpe got the best of his hometown team on Friday night.

He pushed the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 5-0 win in their preseason opener, which was also the first installment of the “Manitoba Battle” against the Winnipeg ICE.

After scoring just one goal all of last season in 55 games, Thorpe had a hot stick as he potted two goals and had a team-high six shots.

It was on the power play when Thorpe opened the scoring, 8:09 into the game. Caiden Daley and Vincent Iorio picked up the assists on the goal, which ended up being the game-winner.

Just more than two minutes later at the 10:17 mark, Connor Gutenberg made it 2-0 for Brandon. Vincent Iorio and Caiden Daley both picked up their second assists of the game.

Brandon held a 2-0 lead after 20, and it didn’t take them long to extend their lead in the midway frame.

Just 2:08 in, Thorpe netted his second goal of the game off a scramble in front to make it 3-0. Iorio continued his assist-filled night with another, while Gutenberg earned the second assist.

At the 16:51 mark, Nolan Ritchie put Brandon up 4-0. The Canad Inns Instraquad game hero, Cole Reinhardt, picked up the primary assist. Neithan Salame got the second assist.

After getting outshot 18-6 in the first, Winnipeg turned things around — at least on the shot clock — in the second. They outshot Brandon 13-9, but they couldn’t beat Ethan Kruger, who played the first 40 minutes in net.

Jonny Hooker scored Brandon’s fifth and final goal, 7:31 into the final frame.

Despite a 16-shot performance in the third, Winnipeg couldn’t net a puck past Connor Ungar, who replaced Kruger for the third.

Kruger ended up making 19 saves in 40 minutes, while Ungar stopped all 16 shots he saw in the final frame.

For Winnipeg, Will Gurski allowed four goals on 27 shots in the first two periods.

Recently-recalled Daniel Hauser came in to play the third, and he turned away six of the seven shots he faced.

Winnipeg edged Brandon in the faceoff circle, winning 33-of-62 draws.

The two teams return to the ice on Saturday night. The home-and-home heads to Stride Place in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.