Neepawa Natives enter Xmas break with loss

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Published on Monday, December 22, 2014

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Banner

The Christmas break could not arrive soon enough for the Neepawa Natives as the team was shutout on Saturday, Dec. 20, by the Swan Valley Stampeders 6-0.

The Stamps took control of the game quickly by scoring four goals in the first 20 minutes. Trustan Langan opened the scoring 5:41 into the first. Linden McCorrister scored at 11:36, while Braydon MacDonald tallied the third and fourth for Swan Valley entering the first intermission. The Neepawa Natives were outshot 17-9.

The second period was scoreless with the shot count much more even at 11-9 for the Stampeders. In the third, Bo Sigurdson and Jordan Valentino each scored to make the final score 6-0. The Natives were able to outshoot Swan Valley in the final period 9-8 but could not spoil the shootout bid of Swan Valley goaltender Graham Hunt.

Neepawa ends December with a 1-7 record for the month and is 10-26-1 on the season.  The Natives are in 11th place in the standings and are four points back of the Waywayseecappo Wolverines for the final playoff spot. The first game of the new year for Neepawa is on Friday, Jan. 2 in Swan River against the Swan Valley Stampeders.