The Wheat Kings got out to a solid start against the Everett Silvertips, getting an early lead and hemming the Everett Silvertips in. It was the second period, however, that would be their downfall.
Ben Binder Nord got his first WHL goal and Carson Bjarnason made 40 saves, but the Wheat Kings fell 4-1 to the Silvertips. Jesse Sanche stopped 30 shots at the other end for the Silvertips.
“We got light,” said head coach and GM Marty Murray. “The first period was really competitive and they stayed with that competitive style of game and we got light. We were light on two PK clears and that cost us a goal.”
Binder Nord and Easton Odut provided the screen on the Wheat Kings’ first period goal. As Luke Shipley moved it over to the left point for Dylan Ronald, both young men went to the front of the net, and Ronald’s shot bounced off Binder Nord and in.
The second period, however, got away from the Wheat Kings. First, on the power play, Landon DuPont followed up his own blocked pass and then fired home a drag shot to tie the score. Then, at even strength, Beau Courtney slipped a check and beat Bjarnason over the glove to give Everett the lead.
A bad break cost the Wheat Kings badly late in the second. Moments after they hit a crossbar, the rebound sent the Silvertips back the other way with numbers. Bjarnason got the first shot, but Jesse Heslop stuffed in the rebound.
Though the Wheat Kings had their looks in the third period, it wasn’t enough to break through. With under a minute to go, DuPont hit the empty net from long range to salt the game away.
The loss drops the Wheat Kings to 4-2-1 on the season. They hit the road to face the Medicine Hat Tigers for their next game on Friday night.
