WHERE WERE THE SWIFT CURRENT BRONCO FANS - TUESDAY NIGHT

By Ian Hamilton: The Regina Leader Post - March 24, 2010

Wheat Kings defeat 'home' team

The Brandon Wheat Kings have a chance to double their pleasure tonight.

If they can defeat the Swift Current Broncos in a WHL playoff game at the Brandt Centre, the Wheat Kings will have ended two teams' seasons in Regina during the 2009-10 campaign.

Brandon also was the visiting team March 12 when the Regina Pats -- who didn't make the post-season -- played their final game of the regular season.

On Tuesday, the Wheat Kings took a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal with the Broncos with a 5-2 victory (before an announced crowd of ** only 1,473 ** at the Brandt Centre). Game 4 is set for today, 7:oo p.m., again at the Brandt Centre.

"We're up 3-0 in the series, which is a commanding lead, yet Swift Current played very well (Tuesday)," Brandon head coach and general manager Kelly McCrimmon said. "They definitely elevated their level of play and it was a close, hard-fought game. We expect the same resolve from them (today).''

"We know the series isn't over yet," added Wheat Kings sniper Brayden Schenn. "We have lots of work ahead of us. Swift Current fought hard (Tuesday). It's nice to have a 3-0 lead, but we can't take that for granted.''

If the Broncos can play like they did for much of Tuesday's contest, they might very well be able to stave off elimination tonight.

"I'm not sure we got outplayed in that game, so we're right there," said Broncos head coach and GM Mark Lamb, whose squad is playing in Regina because Swift Current's Credit Union iplex is playing host to the world women's curling championship.

"We've got to get a few more stops and clean up a few mistakes. The last two plays, we turn the puck over and, boom, that team takes advantage of them."

The Wheat Kings needed just 1:33 to open the scoring. With his team short-handed, Schenn pulled the puck out of a group of players at centre ice, skated down the left wing and picked the top corner on Broncos goalie Morgan Clark.

Brandon stretched its lead to 2-0 at the 4:01 mark of the first when Aaron Lewadniuk and Jay Fehr combined on a nifty give-and-go at the side of the Broncos' goal. Lewadniuk finished off the play, firing a shot past Clark.

Swift Current got on the board at 5:13 of the second, with Brad Hoban putting a shot from the slot past Wheat Kings goalie Jacob De Serres. Justin Dowling pulled the Broncos even at 9:27 of the middle frame, converting a rebound after a 3-on-2 rush.

After each Swift Current goal, the Wheat Kings nearly restored their lead, but Clark repelled shots by Schenn (seconds after Hoban's goal) and Mark Stone (on a breakaway right after Dowling's marker).

Things unravelled for the Broncos in the third period, though.

First, Alexander Urbom scored after a brilliant cross-crease pass from Schenn at 8:49. At 10:29, Schenn intercepted a clearing pass in the Broncos' end and whipped a shot over Clark's trapper. Finally, Matt Calvert scored into an empty net -- with an assist from Schenn -- at 18:24.
"We commit a turnover, they come down the ice and make a good skilled play and it's in the net," Lamb said, referring to Urbom's goal. "The next time we turn it over, (Schenn) roofs it and the game's over."

De Serres faced 37 shots, while Clark was tested 32 times.
The crowd was mostly pro-Swift Current, but there were a number of Brandon fans in the house. The fact the Broncos were playing a home game on the road wasn't lost on Hoban.

"It's disappointing not having your home building, but playing in a neutral spot is still a lot better than playing in their rink," he said. "It felt a lot more like home than it did (in Brandon) and I think it helped our game a little bit."