One day after Cole Reinhardt stole the show inside Westoba Place, the Brandon Wheat Kings will now focus on preparing for the first “Battle of Manitoba” this weekend.
The organization held their annual Canad Inns Intrasquad game yesterday, and Reinhardt scored three goals, including the game-winner.
Brett Hyland opened up the scoring for Team White just 4:56 into the opening period. Returning player Marcus Sekundiak added the lone assist.
Just 35 seconds later, Connor Gutenberg tied up the game on an unassisted goal.
The game that featured 13 total goals had plenty more to offer in the opening 20.
At the 8:22 mark, Luka Burzan put Team Black up, but that didn’t last long.
Reinhardt scored his first of the game just more than four minutes later at the 12:57 mark.
No more goals were scored in the first, but the scoring resumed early in the second.
Jonathon Lambos netted his first of the game, with Brett Hyland getting the primary and only assist, which saw Team White go up 3-2. The goal came just 1:18 into the period.
Owen Weihs, who was reassigned by the team after the game, tied the game up at three, 7:28 into the second.
Before the period was over, Reinhardt struck again. On the power play with 46 seconds left in the period, he potted his second goal of the game. Jake Chiasson and Ridly Greig had the assists.
Thanks to Reinhardt, Team White had a 4-3 lead after 40.
Team White extended their lead to 5-3 when Caiden Daley netted his first of the game, just 2:13 into the third.
Team Black came firing back when Davis Chorney and Jonny Hooker scored once each within the next nine minutes to tie the game at five.
Shortly after Team Black tied it, the goal frenzy continued. William Highet, who has since been reassigned by the team, gave Team White a 6-5 lead at the 11:32 mark.
That lead wasn’t safe, however. Nolan Ritchie tied the game at the 13:13 mark.
Poised and determined to end this game prior to overtime, that’s exactly what Cole Reinhardt did.
Just 12 seconds after Ritchie tied the game, Cole sealed it with a game-winner, which was his third goal of the game.
After yesterday’s game, the team’s roster was trimmed down to 32. Here is the list of players that remain in Brandon.
Goalies: 3
Jiri Patera, Ethan Kruger, Connor Ungar.
Defence: 9
Zach Wytinck, Vincent Iorio, Neithan Salame, Chad Nychuk, Braden Schneider, Jonathon Lambos, Jacob Hoffrogge, Logan Hammett, Jack Zayat.
Forwards: 20
Ben McCartney, Jonny Hooker, Luka Burzan, Connor Gutenberg, Nolan Ritchie, Ty Thorpe, Tyson Zimmer, Nate Danielson, Cole Reinhardt, Ridly Greig, Marcus Sekundiak, Bode Hagan, Caiden Daley, Jake Chiasson, Brett Hyland, Jaxon Dube, Rylen Roersma, Davis Chorney, Drayson Collyer, Lynden McCallum.
Brandon now begins their preseason on Friday against Winnipeg at Westoba Place. On Saturday, they’ll make the short trip to Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, to once again face the ICE.
