Kenneth Brown
of The Clarion

The undefeated Kindersley Sr. Klippers now sit alone atop the Sask West Hockey League standings after stepping up in their biggest test of the season.

The Sr. Klippers only played one game last weekend, but it was the team’s first of four games this season against the four-time defending SWHL champion Wilkie Outlaws. Kindersley beat the defending champs by a score of 4-3 on Dec. 15 to maintain a perfect 9-0 record this season.

Kindersley is now the only undefeated team in the league. Wilkie and Kinddersley had identical 8-0 records heading into last weekend’s action, but the game on Saturday night in Wilkie was not a game between two undefeated teams.

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Wilkie lost to the Macklin Mohawks at home in overtime by a score of 4-3 one night earlier, so the Outlaws were still undefeated in regulation until the Sr. Klippers ended that streak with the win. Kindersley has 18 points while Wilkie (8-1-1) has 17 points, and the Sr. Klippers have one game in hand.

The teams traded goals in the first period on Saturday with Wilkie scoring first and Jesse Ismond scoring his first of two goals on the night to knot the game at 1-1 after the period. Kindersley scored the only two goals of the second period to lead 3-1 after 40 minutes.

Ismond and Nick Josephs scored the second period goals for the Sr. Klippers. Josephs scored his second goal of the night on the power play early in the third period. Wilkie trailed by three goals after the power play goal made it 4-1.

The Outlaws scored two goals including a power play marker of their own to make it a one-goal game with under seven minutes to play, but they could not tie the game. Wilkie doubled up the Sr. Klippers in shots (18-9) in the third. Luke Sproule stopped 37 of 40 shots to get his ninth win this season, and Kindersley had 32 shots.

Coach Matt Glencross mixed up his lines a bit to start the second period. Josephs played most of the game with Landon Longmire and Kyle Donaldson, but he was put on a line with Ismond and Johnny Calkins for a bit near the start of the second period.

The coach said he played a hunch and it paid off because the line scored a goal soon after being put together. The team’s veterans stepped up in the game, but he said the team’s young guys did a good job to handle the pressure.

He noted that the SaskCan Community Centre in Wilkie is not an easy place to play, so it was exciting to leave Wilkie with a win. According to Glencross, the former Red Lions had never won a game on the road in Wilkie.

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