Chiefs Earn Big Road Win in Dauphin
The Yellowhead Chiefs opened the week with an entertaining and hard-fought 6–5 victory over the Parkland Rangers on Friday night in Dauphin, snapping a tight back-and-forth contest with timely scoring and special teams execution.
Parkland struck first with a pair of early goals, but the Chiefs responded quickly. Winston Lepp got Yellowhead on the board with a power-play marker, and Redden Richmond followed shortly after to pull the game even before the end of the first period.
The second period belonged to the Chiefs’ top line. Grady McNish and Nolan Kozak combined for three goals in the frame, with McNish scoring once and Kozak adding two to give Yellowhead a 5–3 lead heading into the third. Parkland pushed back, cutting the deficit to one late in the game, but McNish’s power-play goal midway through the third proved to be the difference as the Chiefs held on for the road win.
McNish finished the night with two goals and three points, while Kozak matched him with two goals and three points of his own.
Milestone Night and Offensive Outburst at Home
Sunday night in Shoal Lake was all Yellowhead, as the Chiefs exploded for a 10–3 win over the Kenora Thistles in front of the home crowd — a game highlighted by major personal milestones.
Both Nolan Kozak and Grady McNish reached the 100-point mark for their U18 AAA careers during the contest, becoming the latest Chiefs to hit the century milestone. Each played a key role in the offensive surge, with Kozak finishing with a goal and three assists, and McNish recording a hat trick.
The Chiefs wasted no time taking control, scoring four times in the opening period, including three power-play goals. Kenora briefly answered shorthanded, but Yellowhead continued to roll, adding four more goals in the second period to put the game well out of reach.
McNish capped his night with a shorthanded goal in the third period, while the Chiefs’ power play was lethal, converting five times on six opportunities. Yellowhead also received strong goaltending from Landon McGregor, who turned aside 33 of 36 shots.
Season Winding Down
With the two wins, the Chiefs continue to build momentum late in the season as the schedule begins to wind down. Yellowhead now has just four games remaining, including a crucial trip to Winnipeg next week to face the Bruins in a makeup game from December 19, followed by a home matchup Sunday in Shoal Lake against the Winnipeg Wild.
With milestones reached and confidence growing, the Chiefs will look to finish the season strong against two of the league’s top teams.
