The Swift Current Broncos (2-3-1-0) had a 3-2 lead heading into the third period, but the Brandon Wheat Kings (4-3-0-0) pulled even in the third and won the game in overtime, handing the Broncos a 4-3 loss Saturday night.
Chase Lacombe opened the scoring 11:35 into the game when his wrist shot from the left point eluded traffic and beat Carson Bjarnason on the glove side. Connor Hvidston and Brady Birnie picked up assists on the goals, with Birnie’s assist being his first WHL point.
Swift Current outshot the Wheat Kings 16-8 in the opening 20 minutes, carrying a 1-0 lead into the intermission. Brandon began building momentum at the end of the first period and it carried over into the second.
With Mathew Ward in the box for goalie interference 31 seconds into the second, it took the Wheat Kings just five seconds to score on the power play.
Ridly Greig stole the puck behind the Broncos net and sent it to Nate Danielson in the right circle. Danielson quickly whipped it to Rylen Roersma at the backdoor who tapped in the tying goal just 36 seconds into the period to tie the game.
Brandon then took the lead for the first time in the game 1:09 later with Nolan Ritchie beating Isaac Poulter over the blocker from the right circle to make it 2-1.
Swift Current would even the score with a power play goal of their own. Raphael Pelletier passed to Josh Davies in the high slot who dropped to one knee for a one timer and beat Bjarnason on the glove side, tying the game 8:33 into the period.
Pelletier would then restore the Broncos lead off a face off win. Aiden Bulych won the draw to Rylan Thiessen at the blue line who sent the puck on net. Bjarnason made the easy save but sent the rebound right to the slot for Pelletier to fire home to give the Broncos a 3-2 lead with 5:39 left in the second.
Fireworks started flying late in the second period which began with a fight between Rylan Gould and Owen Harris. In the same sequence, away from the fight, Thiessen and Chad Nychuk were given 10-minute misconducts.
Less than a minute later Greig and Bulych were each sent to the box, and when Greig came out of the box, he skated into the Broncos zone and attempted to hit Caleb Wyrostok along the boards. That drew another large crowd which ended with Wyrostok, Lacombe and Greig all in the box, putting the Wheat Kings on the power play to start the third.
The Broncos killed off the penalty but the Brandon continued to push and would tie the game off a failed clearing attempt.
Greig took a pass from Logan Hammett and skated into the left circle before pulling the puck to his backhand and cutting to the front of the net, beating Poulter on the glove side to tie the game with just under nine minutes to go in the game.
The Broncos had a great chance to win the game late in regulation when Brett Hyland was called for hooking, but couldn’t capitalize on the man advantage in regulation or overtime.
Overtime progressed with chances for both sides before Ritchie took a stretch pass from his own blue line and came down the right wing into the Broncos zone.
Ritchie stopped at the goal line and fed the puck to the slot for Nychuk who was joining the rush, and he beat Poulter on the blocker side to end the game. The goal was briefly reviewed for a potential offside against the Wheat Kings, but the goal stood as Brandon won 4-3.
The Broncos now hit the road to Winnipeg to take on the undefeated ICE (6-0-0-0) at 5:00 on Sunday.