The Winkler Flyers scored four times in the second period in a 6-4 win over the Neepawa Natives on Saturday night. Scott Gall scored a pair of goals as the Flyers picked up the win in their home opener, starting the season with back to back wins.

 

After getting past the Natives 3-1 in Neepawa in the regular season opener on Friday night, the two teams met again in the Flyers first regular season game at home. With a very nice crowd on hand, the Flyers put on a pretty good show at the Winkler Rec Complex.

 

Just like they did the night before, the Flyers opened the scoring with just over six minutes left in the first period. Will Blake and Braden Billaney assisted on Dionne Demke’s goal to give Winkler a 1-0 lead. The Flyers took their one goal advantage into the second period while outshoot the visiting Natives 14-4 in the first 20 minutes.

 

It took the Flyers just over a minute to double their lead in the second when Scott Gall scored his third of the year. Five and a half minutes later, Gall popped in his second of the game and Winkler was up 3-1. Matt Christian assisted on the goal.

 

Neepawa’s Nathan Hillis got the visitors on the board with a power-play before the halfway point of the second and the Flyers lead was cut to 3-1. Winkler got that one back with a nice goal just a few minutes later. After taking the pass from Captain Connor Hamonic, Colytn Bates raced down the right wing side and fed a perfect pass to Jeff Michiels who fired home his second of the season, giving Winkler a 4-1 lead.

 

With 4:20 left to play in the second, Ian Mackey picked up the puck in the Neepawa zone and slapped it over the shoulder of Native’s goaltender Jeremy Link and the Flyers took a 5-1 lead into the intermission.

 

Justin Metcalf scored the Native’s second goal before the third period was five minutes old, but the Flyers were quick to recover from that as well. At the 7:06 mark of the period, Lawson McDonald and Tyler Jubenvill assisted on Will Blake’s first as a Flyer and Winkler’s lead had grown to 6-2.

 

Neepawa would add two late goals in regulation but the damage was already done as the Flyers would pick up the 6-4 win in their first regular season game at home.

 

Connor Slipp improved to 2-0 between the pipes with a 31 save performance. Both teams ended the night with 35 shots. Winkler went 0-for-5 on the power-play and 6-for-7 on the penalty-kill.

 

The Flyers next home game will be Tuesday, September 27th when the Virden Oil Capitals come to town. Game time is 7:30pm. Advance tickets are available at the Winkler Coop Gas Bar.

Prior to the game, the City of Winkler will be honoring Pittsburgh Penguins forward and Winkler native Eric Fehr with a Stanley Cup banner unveiling.

 

GAME STATS