It was a weekend of ups and downs for the Yellowhead Chiefs, who faced the Eastman Selects and the Central Plains Capitals in back-to-back road games. Despite an early setback Saturday, the Chiefs rebounded with a gritty overtime victory on Sunday to earn two valuable points.
Saturday, October 11 – Eastman 7, Yellowhead 1
The Chiefs ran into penalty trouble early in Steinbach, with captain Alec Strachan ejected in the first period after receiving a kneeing major and game misconduct. The play left Yellowhead bench shorthanded for the rest of the night and resulted in a suspension that kept Strachan out of Sunday’s game.
Eastman capitalized on the Chiefs’ disrupted lineup, building a 2–0 lead in the opening period and adding three more goals in the second. Wyatt Njegovan provided the lone Yellowhead marker midway through the middle frame, but the Selects continued to pour it on, finishing with a 46–18 edge in shots. Goaltender Landon McGregor faced a barrage, stopping 39 in the loss.
Veteran forward Nolan Kozak remained sidelined with a broken wrist suffered during preseason action, leaving a notable gap in Yellowhead’s offense.
Sunday, October 12 – Yellowhead 4, Central Plains 3 (OT)
Less than 24 hours later, the Chiefs regrouped for a character win in Portage la Prairie. After falling behind 1–0 early, Grady McNish sparked the comeback with a pair of second-period goals. Wyatt Njegovan added another to put Yellowhead up 3–1 heading into the third, but the Capitals clawed back to even the score.
Overtime didn’t last long—just 88 seconds in, Brody Bohemier buried the winner to seal a 4–3 triumph. Sawyer Wallin turned aside 28 shots for the win as the Chiefs improved to 2–4 on the season.
Up Next
The Chiefs return home to the Shoal Lake Communiplex for a doubleheader against the Interlake Lightning, with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday, October 18, and 1:30 p.m. Sunday, October 19. The team will look to build on Sunday’s momentum and carry their resilient play into a strong homestand.
