Legionnaires edge Pat Canadians to maintain top spot
The Swift Current Home Hardware Legionnaires entered a brief holiday break on a high after defeating the Regina Pat Canadians to maintain top spot in the Saskatchewan Male U18 AAA Hockey League.
The Legionnaires moved to 18-5-3 with a 3-2 shootout win over the visiting Pat Canadians on December 19.
Berney Weston stopped all four shooters and Kade Stringer scored the only goal for the Legionnaires in the shootout to earn the extra point.
The Legionnaires took an early lead with a shorthanded goal from Connor Rieger, assisted by Will Kirwan. Steven Steranka tied it up for the Pat Canadians midway through the opening frame.
The Legionnaires took a second lead with a Parker Rondeau goal assisted by Kayd Ruedig and Jackson Fox. Casey Brown tied the game midway through the middle stanza before a scoreless third period.
The Legionnaires and Pat Canadians played twice over an eight-day span with each team winning in a shootout on the road.
“Yeah they are at the top, them and Warman and P.A., we’ve played all those top teams hard. We struggled maybe against some of the bottom guys, maybe sitting back and not playing our regular game. It’s good to come out against these guys
today, it was a good measuring stick and I think we sent a message,” said head coach Todd Hornung.
The Broncos were two points clear of Regina for top spot after the shootout victory.
“To be sitting in first place is maybe not where we expected to be at the start of the year. The boys battled hard. We played some really good hockey.
We played some really tight games. We earned a hard-fought win today. We’re excited,” said Hornung.
Hornung said it took a team effort to finish 2023 atop the standings in the 12-team league.
“I think our penalty kill has been exceptional for us. Our power play is starting to come along, we’ve struggled a little bit
with it. I think we have three pretty even lines that have been contributing lately. We’re just a group that works hard and finds ways to win games.”
The Legionnaires are in Calgary this week for the Circle K Classic. They were set to open the tournament on Wednesday against the Yale Lions. The Lions were fifth in the
Canadian Sport School Hockey League U18 Prep League with a 12-4-1-01-0 record.
They will face the Calgary Buffaloes on Thursday. The Buffaloes were sitting third in the Alberta Elite Hockey League South Division with a 146-0-0-2 record.
The Legionnaires will conclude the round robin on Friday against Detroit
Victory Honda.
“The boys are excited. For a lot of them it’s their first time and it’s a good experience and you get good crowds. We are playing similar teams to Regina the whole way through and everyone will be good competition for us. It will be a good learning experience and good exposure for the boys,” said Hornung.