The Yellowhead Chiefs faced a demanding three-game week, beginning with a thrilling overtime victory in Dauphin before running into a hard-charging Pembina Valley squad on back-to-back nights. Despite the mixed results, there were bright spots—including a major career milestone for veteran forward Nolan Kozak, who played his 100th U18 AAA game on Saturday, November 29.
The Chiefs now sit ninth in the league at 10-12-0-0, and turn their attention to three games this coming week: a home date with Parkland on December 2 in Shoal Lake, followed by road trips to face the Winnipeg Bruins on December 5 and the Interlake Lightning in Lundar on December 6.
Tuesday, November 25 – Chiefs 4, Parkland Rangers 3 (OT)
McGregor 38-save performance steals the show; Kozak scores OT winner
The week opened with a gutsy road win in Dauphin as the Chiefs made the most of their chances in a game where they were heavily outshot 41–16. Yellowhead struck early, with Nolan Kozak burying his second of the season off a setup from Wyatt Njegovan at 5:46. Moments later, Redden Richmond continued his upward trend with his second of the year to make it 2–0.
Parkland pushed back aggressively, tying the game before the first intermission with a pair of goals from Bryson Martin, but early in the second period Richmond struck again, restoring the Chiefs’ lead.
The Rangers equalized late in the middle frame, and from there it became the Lanny McGregor show, as the Chiefs’ goaltender shut the door while facing wave after wave of Parkland pressure.
In overtime, with the extra point on the line, it was the veteran presence that made the difference. Kozak buried his second of the game—and third of the season—off a feed from Alec Strachan, sealing a hard-earned 4–3 win.
Saturday, November 29 – Pembina Valley Hawks 7, Chiefs 2
Kozak reaches 100 games as Chiefs stumble in Morden
Saturday was meant to be a celebratory night for the Chiefs as alternate captain Nolan Kozak reached the 100-game milestone—a rare and respected achievement at the U18 AAA level. But the Hawks spoiled the occasion with a strong offensive showing.
Yellowhead actually opened the scoring, with Winston Lepp continuing his productive stretch just 4:26 in. Pembina Valley answered with three straight goals before Lepp added another late in the first to pull the Chiefs within one.
That was as close as it would get. Pembina Valley’s depth took over, scoring four unanswered goals while the Chiefs went 0-for-12 on the power play despite generating 36 shots. McGregor, who has logged heavy minutes through November, turned aside 38 in the loss.
Sunday, November 30 – Pembina Valley Hawks 5, Chiefs 3
Lepp stays hot; McNish scores early in third, but penalty trouble proves costly
Sunday’s rematch in Morden was a more disciplined and competitive effort from Yellowhead, but the Hawks once again cashed in at key moments—especially on the power play, where they went 3-for-8.
Pembina Valley opened the scoring late in the first on a power play marker. Early in the second period, Winston Lepp responded with his eighth of the season, and after the Hawks regained the lead, Lepp struck again at 4:57 on the power play to pull the Chiefs even at 2–2.
However, back-to-back penalties opened the door for Pembina Valley, who capitalized twice more with the man advantage before the period closed.
A spark came early in the third when Grady McNish scored just 58 seconds in to narrow the deficit, but the Hawks answered short-handed minutes later to halt the comeback.
Despite a strong push, the Chiefs couldn’t find the equalizer, finishing the week 1–2.
Looking Ahead
The Chiefs return home this Tuesday, December 2, to take on the Parkland Rangers in Shoal Lake—their first home game in nearly two weeks. They then prepare for a tough test against the high-flying Winnipeg Bruins (3rd place) on December 5 before closing the week against the Interlake Lightning on December 6 in Lundar.
With lineup continuity improving and Kozak’s milestone behind them, the Chiefs will look to reset and build momentum as December begins.
