The Carnduff Red Devils have cemented their spot atop the Big Six Hockey League after winning a marquee game.
The Carnduff Red Devils shut out the defending league champions, the Yellow Grass Wheat Kings, 4-0 in Yellow Grass. It was the first loss of the season for the Wheat Kings.
Shannon Gallant, Kody Martin and Nico Anderson scored in the first period to give the Red Devils a 3-0 lead, and Jordan Cooney’s tally late in the second extended the Red Devils advantage to four.
Cody Martin was in goal for the shutout for the Red Devils (8-0-1), who are the only team in the league not to lose in regulation this season.
Three games were played on each of Dec. 6 and 7. In the games on Dec. 6, the Bienfait Coalers defeated the Carlyle Cougars 6-1, the Midale Mustangs knocked off the Kipling-Windthorst Oil Kings 8-3 and the Red Devils trounced the Arcola-Kisbey Combines 14-2.
Games played the following night were Carlyle over Midale 6-2, Yellow Grass over Arcola-Kisbey 11-2 and the Wawota Flyers edged Kipling-Windthorst 4-3.
The lone game since the weekend saw the Coalers pound the Combines 11-2. Brayden Bowlen scored early to give the Combines a 1-0 lead, and Derek Fleck’s goal midway through the first tied the game at twos, but the Coalers took over, leading 4-2 after one and 10-2 through two periods.
Keegan Malaryk had a hat trick for Bienfait and Dallas Kickley scored twice. Matt Bourassa, Wyatt Garagan, Dylan Lay, Cole Piche, Daniel Wanner and Jayden Storozuk had the other goals.
Carnduff has built a large lead in the overall standings with 17 points, seven more than the Rockets (5-1) and nine more than the Wheat Kings (4-1). But the Red Devils have also played the most games in the league with nine, while Redvers has six and Yellow Grass just five. Carlyle (4-4) and Wawota (3-3) are both hovering at the .500 mark. Bienfait (3-4) is sixth, Midale (3-5) is seventh, the Oil Capitals (1-6) are eighth and Arcola-Kisbey (1-7) sits ninth. Seven games are scheduled for Dec. 13-15. Games on Dec. 13 are Kipling-Windthorst at Carlyle, Yellow Grass at Wawota and Arcola-Kisbey at Redvers. Games on Dec. 14 are Midale at Waawota, Yellow Grass at Bienfait and Kipling-Windthorst at Carnduff. Games on Dec. 13 and 14 start at 8 p.m.
Carlyle will be at Redvers on Dec. 15, and Arcola-Kisbey is at Yellow Grass on Dec. 19 at 8 p.m.
