Brandon busts Blazers win streak in OT

Nov 2, 2018 | 10:33 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops hockey faithful got a little taste of why Stelio Mattheos was chosen to represent Team WHL in Monday’s Canada/Russia game at Sandman Centre.

Mattheos scored a pair for the Wheat Kings, including the overtime winner as the boys from Brandon halted the Blazers win streak at four with a 3-2 victory.

Zane Franklin opened the scoring for the home team in the first period with his 11th of the year from Orrin Centazzo and Luc Smith.

The Wheat Kings got on the board with just 9 seconds remaining in the second frame, when Mattheos bullied a puck past Dylan Ferguson on the Power Play.

The goal was initially waved off, with the call on the ice that the net was knocked off its pegs before the puck crossed the goal line. After a lengthy video review, that call was overturned.

Brandon took their first lead at 7:05 of the third period, as Chase Hartje’s point shot deflected past Ferguson.

Seven minutes later, it would be a pair of Delta Hockey Academy alumni connecting to tie it for Kamloops. Brodi Stuart set up Luke Zazula for the diminutive d-man’s 2nd of the year to tie the affair at two.

Shortly after the goal, Josh Pillar took a double minor for boarding Brandon’s Connor Gutenberg, leaving the Blazers with a lengthy kill, but the boys in blue were up to the task, riding out extended periods of Wheat Kings pressure to preserve the tie and send the game to OT.

After a back and forth stretch of 3-on-3 OT Mattheos was sprung on a partial breakaway by Linden McCorrister, and would fend off a furious back-check by Franklin, scoring on a pretty forehand-backhand-top-cheese dangle.

Jiri Patera outlasted fellow Vegas Golden Knight prospect Ferguson in the win, making 32 stops for the Wheat Kings. Ferguson stopped 38 of 41 in a losing effort.