– The Brandon Wheat Kings jumped out to a 4-0 first period lead and went on to a 6-3 win over the Regina Pats to open their WHL Eastern Conference Quarter-Final Saturday night. Jayce Hawryluk, John Quenneville, Peter Quenneville and Ryan Pilon scored first period goals for Brandon with Ryan Pulock and Jesse Gabrielle also scoring for the Wheat Kings. Game two of the Best-of-Seven series goes Sunday night in Regina (7:30 p.m., CKLQ). For more on the Wheat Kings, visit Bruce Luebke’s blog at http://www.luberslounge.blogspot.ca/
– Nolan Jago had two goals and an assist and Jason Swyripa had a goal and an assist to pace the Deloraine Royals to a 4-2 win over the Gladstone Lakers in Game Three of the Tiger Hills Hockey League Final Saturday night. The Royals take a 2-1 lead in the Best-of-Five series with Game Four in Gladstone on Wednesday.
– The North Central Hockey League Final is headed to a fifth and deciding game. Jason Shaw, Steegan Stoski and Jared Hedley scored for Grandview as the Comets downed the Miniota-Elkhorn C-Hawks 3-2 Saturday night to tie the series at two games apiece. Game Five will be Saturday in Elkhorn.
– The Carolina Hurricanes scored three straight goals in just under three minutes in the second period and held on for a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets Saturday. Jim Slater scored his first goal of an injury-marred season while Bryan Little scored his 21st goal of the year for Winnipeg. The Jets (32-31-9) are six points behind Phoenix for the second wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference. Other action Saturday included former Wheat King Brayden Schenn scoring his 18th goal of the season in Philadelphia’s 4-1 win over St. Louis while ex Wheat King Eric Fehr had his 12th in Washington’s 3-2 shootout victory over San Jose.
– Three Westman teams walked away with titles at Provincial High School Basketball Championships Saturday. The Virden Golden Bears took the AAA Girls’ title, Hamiota won their third straight A Girls’ crown while Glenboro won the A Boys’ title. CKLQ’s Tyler Crayston has more details here.
– A winning start for Manitoba’s teams at the Canadian Senior Curling Championship in Yellowknife on Saturday. Brandon’s Lois Fowler scored a deuce in the tenth end and stole the winning point in the extra end in an 8-7 victory over New Brunswick’s Heidi Hanlon in her opening game while Neepawa’s Kelly Robertson was a 12-5 winner over New Brunswick’s Mark Armstrong 12-5 in his opening contest. Both Manitoba champs will play a pair of games Sunday.
