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By GREG NESBITT
Crossroads This Week
January 28th, 2011 Edition

Ryan Benitez stopped all 16 shots he faced to record his first shutout of the season as the Waywayseecappo Wolverines blanked the Neepawa Natives 2-0 in front of 334 spectators in Neepawa on Wednesday, Jan. 26.  The Sher-Wood Division affair amounted to a four-point game as the win moved the Wolverines three points up on sixth place Natives, and just two back of the fourth place Swan Valley Stampeders.  Josh Daley scored in the second period for the Wolverines, with Shane Goodrunning adding an insurance marker in the third.  Neepawa's Riley Feser stopped 40 shots.

Wolverines 5 Swan Valley 1
The Wolverines dominated the Stampeders from the drop of the puck as they skated to a 5-1 victory over their Sher-Wood Division rivals in front of 350 fans in Waywayseecappo on Tuesday, Jan. 26.  The Wolverines jumped out to a 3-0 first period lead and increased it to 5-0 after 40 minutes. Conor Pennell broke Waywayseecappo netminder Ryan Benitez's shutout bid with a powerplay goal early in the third. Benitez stopped 27 shots to earn the victory. Dave Williams, Ryan Duahime, Josh Daley, Brett Pinkerton and Jordan Holovach scored on Swan Valley netminder Dylan Wells, who finished with 26 saves.

Wolverines 4 Selkirk 3 (OT)
Stephane Robidoux scored the game winner with just 10 seconds left in the five-minute overtime to give the Wolverines a 4-3 victory in front of 307 fans in Waywayseecappo on Saturday, Jan. 22.  Ryan Duhaime scored twice for the Wolverines, while Curtis Veitch added a single. Tyler Grove, Colan Jackson and Joel Ridgeway replied for the Steelers, who trailed 2-1 and 3-2 at the intermissions.  Ryan Benitez stopped 36 shots in goal for the Wolverines, while
Joey Rewucki made 49 saves for the Steelers.

Wolverines 3 Wpg. Blues 2 (SO)
Josh Daley was a one-man wrecking crew for the Wolverines in a 3-2 shootout win over the Blues in front of 265 fans in Waywayseecappo on Friday, Jan. 21.  Daley scored both regulation goals and then scored the shootout winner to send the home faithful home happy. Connor Cleverley and Patrick Henderson were the only Blues able to beat Wolverines' netminder Ryan Benitez, who stopped 29 shots.  Brett Martyniuk made 31 saves in the Blues' goal. The Wolverines led 1-0 after the first period, and the teams were tied 2-2 after 40 minutes.

WOLV TALK -  Paul Van De Velde is fifth in league scoring with 58 points, while Shane Goodrunning is tenth with 51. Goodrunning is second in the league in goals scored with 32... Nine of the Wolverines' remaining 12 games are against Sher-Wood Division opponents... The Wolverines play their next four games on home ice, beginning with a visit by the Dauphin Kings on Sunday, Jan. 30. The OCN Blizzard will play a doubleheader in Waywayseecappo on Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 2 and 3. The home stand will close out with a game against the Winnipeg Blues on Saturday, Feb. 5.

By GREG NESBITT
Crossroads This Week
January 21st, 2011 Edition

It was a successful week for the Waywayseecappo Wolverines after they picked up five of a possible six points against two teams ahead of them in the Sher-Wood Division of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. The Wolverines dropped a 5-4 shootout decision to the Dauphin Kings in front of 1,339 spectators at Credit Union Place in Dauphin on Tuesday, Jan. 18. On the weekend, the Waywayseecappo swept a home-and-home series with the Neepawa Natives.  The results leave the sixth place Wolverines (19-21-6) eight points back of the fourth place Swan Valley Stampeders (24-17-4) in the race for a playoff spot. Sandwiched between the two teams are the Neepawa Natives
(23-20-3).

Dauphin 5 Wolverines 4 (SO)
Matt Spafford was the only goal scorer in the shootout as the Kings edged the Wolverines 5-4. Spafford also scored in the regulation for the Kings, who built up a 4-1 first period lead only to see the Wolverines score once in the second and twice in the third to force overtime.  Colton Graf with a pair and Bryn Chyzyk also scored for the hosts.  Team scoring leader Paul Van De Velde had a hat trick for the Wolverines, with Zaine Walker adding a single.  Brett Willows survived a 52-shot barrage from the Wolverines to pick up the win in goal for the Kings, while Ryan Benitez and Brett Gagnon combined to make 29 saves for the Wolverines.

Wolverines 2 Neepawa 1
The Wolverines completed a home-and-home sweep of the Natives with a 2-1 win in front of 230 fans in Waywayseecappo on Saturday, Jan. 15.  Joe Carney's goal early in the second period stood up as the game winner. Paul Van De Velde opened the scoring for the hosts in the first. Tripp Emmer pulled the Natives to within one in the second, but the Wolverines' defense held the Natives' offense at bay the rest of the way.  Brett Gagnon stopped 15 shots to earn the win in goal for the Wolverines, while Riley Feser stopped 30 in a losing cause.

Wolverines 5 Neepawa 3
The Wolverines scored the final three goals of the game to score a 5-3 win over the Natives in front of 285 spectators at the Yellowhead Arena in Neepawa on Friday, Jan. 14. Josh Daley and Shane Goodrunning each scored twice for the Wolverines, who trailed 1-0 after the first period. The teams were tied 2-2 after 40 minutes. Brett Pinkerton had the other Waywayseecappo marker.  Tripp Emmer, Tyler Larson and Daniel Adams scored for the hosts. Brett Gagnon picked up the win in goal for Waywayseecappo, finishing with 22 saves. Riley Feser stopped 34 shots in a losing cause for Neepawa.

By GREG NESBITT
Crossroads This Week
January 14th, 2011 Edition

Kyle Johnson's second period goal stood up as the game winner as the Dauphin Kings edged the Waywayseecappo Wolverines 3-2 in a Manitoba Junior Hockey League game played in front of 1337 fans at Credit Union Place in Dauphin on Wednesday, Jan. 12.  The loss left the sixth place Wolverines 13 points out of a playoff spot in the Sher-Wood Division with a record of 17 wins, 21 losses and five overtime or shootout losses. The Kings, meanwhile, moved to within eight points of the first place Portage Terriers.  Dauphin opened the scoring in the first period on a powerplay goal by Colton Graf. The Wolverines tied the game early in the second on a goal by Josh Daley. The Kings then went to work and got goals from Riley Gillies and Johnson a minute apart to take a 3-1 lead. Dave Williams brought the Wolverines to within one before the period ended, but couldn't get the equalizer in the third.  Brett Gagnon stopped 26 of the 28 shots he faced in the Wolverines' goal, while Ryan Bembridge finished with 36 saves in the Kings' net.

Wolverines 6 Wpg. Saints 2
Shane Goodrunning and Dave Williams each scored twice as the Wolverines downed the Saints 6-2 in front of 311 fans in Waywayseecappo on Saturday, Jan. 8.  Tyler Posch and Ashley Howie added singles for the Wolverines, who led 1-0 and 4-1 at the intermissions.  Jesse Hall and Brett Chartier replied for the Saints.  Brett Gagnon picked up the win in goal with a 22-save performance. Mark Smith made 27 stops in the Saints' net.

Neepawa 6 Wolverines 4
The Wolverines trailed 2-0 after the first period and couldn't recover in a 6-4 loss to the Natives in an important divisional matchup played in front of 299 fans in Waywayseecappo on Friday, Jan. 7.  Richard Olson and Michael Hay each scored twice for the Natives, who led 4-2 after 40 minutes. Single markers came off the sticks of Derek Sand and Anthony Nobili. Ryan Duhaime with a pair, Bobby Janzen and Curtis Veitch scored for Waywayseecappo. Former Wolverines' netminder Riley Feser earned the win in goal for Neepawa, making 36 saves. Ryan Benitez finished with 20 saves in the Waywayseecappo goal.

WOLV TALK - The Wolverines play their next three games against Neepawa and Dauphin, beginning with a home-and-home series on Friday, Jan. 14 in Neepawa and Saturday, Jan. 15 in Waywayseecappo. The Wolverines then travel to Dauphin on Tuesday, Jan. 18, before hosting the Winnipeg Blues on Friday, Jan. 21... Defenseman Stephane Robidoux and forwards Paul Van De Velde and Shane Goodrunning were named to the Sher-Wood Division all-star team. The game will be played in Swan River on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

By GREG NESBITT
Crossroads This Week
January 7th, 2011 Edition

The Waywayseecappo Wolverines picked up their first Manitoba Junior Hockey League win of 2011 with a 2-1 shootout decision over the OCN Blizzard in front of 420 spectators in the The Pas on Tuesday, Jan. 4.  Paul Van De Velde, the third Waywayseecappo shooter, recorded the game-winning goal after the third OCN shooter failed to score on Wolverines' netminder Ryan Benitez.  Shane Goodrunning scored the Wolverines first goal in the second period, but Jean-Bernard Voyer evened the score for the Blizzard early in the third.  Benitez finished with 18 saves in the Wolverines' goal, while Matthew Krahn stopped 34 shots for the Blizzard.

OCN 3 Wolverines 2
Mike Collins' powerplay goal early in the third period snapped a 2-2 tie and gave the Blizzard a 3-2 win over the Wolverines in The Pas on Monday, Jan. 3.  The teams were tied 1-1 and 2-2 at the intermissions.  Denis Restoule and Nathan Bruyere also scored for the hosts, while Dave Williams and Shane Goodrunning replied for the Wolverines.  Matthew Krahn earned the win in goal for OCN, making 20 stops. Ryan Benietez stopped 25 shots in a losing cause for Waywayseecappo.

Portage 6 Wolverines 4
The Terriers jumped out to a 5-0 lead and coasted to a 6-4 win over the Wolverines in front of 275 fans in Waywayseecappo on Sunday, Dec. 19.  Tyler Moore scored twice for the visitors, who led 1-0 and 5-2 at the intermissions. Single markers came off the sticks of Brent Wold, Andrew Wiebe, Tanner Waldvogel and Mike Gemmell.  Shane Goodrunning with a pair, Dave Williams and Steven Duda replied for the Wolverines.  Jason Kasdorf earned the win in goal for the Terriers with a 33-save performance. Ryan Benitez stopped 31 shots in the Wolverines' net.

Wolverines 4 Dauphin 1
The Wolverines scored twice in the first and added two more in the second enroute to a 4-1 win over the Kings in front of 336 spectators in Waywayseecappo on Saturday, Dec. 18. Ryan Duhaime, Dave Williams, Pierre Landry and Steven Duda tallied for the hosts. Kyle Johnson was the lone King able to beat Wolverines' netminder Ryan Benitez, who finished with 21 saves.  Brett Willows, who was replaced by Ryan Bembridge after the fourth Waywayseecapp goal, suffered the loss. The pair combined for 30 stops.

WOLV TALK - The Wolverines sport a 16-19-5-0 record, and sit in sixth place, nine points out of a playoff spot in the Sher-Wood Division... OCN forward T.J. Constant did not dress in Tuesday's game after being called up by the Prince Albert Raiders for a game in Brandon against the Wheat Kings the same night... The Wolverines' team scoring race has become a three-way affair.
Paul Van De Velde leads with 46 points, followed by Shane Goodrunning with 45 and Brett Pinkerton with 40... The Wolverines will entertain the Neepawa Natives on Friday, Jan. 7 and the Winnipeg Saints on Saturday, Jan. 8 before taking to the road for games in Dauphin and Neepawa on Wednesday, Jan. 12 and Friday, Jan. 14 respectively.