Flyers win back-to-back Big Six titles

The Wawota Flyers are still the class of the Big Six Hockey League for the second consecutive year.

The Flyers defeated the Yellow Grass Wheat Kings 4-1 on Sunday night in Weyburn to win the best-of-seven league final in four straight games. It capped a near-perfect postseason run for the Flyers, who lost just once in 11 contests.

They swept the Midale Mustangs in the first round and defeated the Redvers Rockets in four games in the semifinal. Both series were best-of-five showdowns.

The first two games of the Big Six final were one-goal contests, but the Flyers took over in Game 3, scoring four times in the third period to route the Wheat Kings 7-2. Ryan Taylor and Riley Riddell each scored twice in the win.

Flyers’ coach Todd Wilson said Game 3 was a turning point in the series.

“We sure did have a lot more confidence in Game 3,” said Wilson. “That pushed us over the edge.”

Riddelll scored in the first period to give his team a 1-0 lead in Game 4, and Kevin Lincoln doubled the advantage with a goal midway through the second.

A Mike Onstad goal with 29 seconds left in the middle frame gave the Wheat Kings some life, but two empty net goals by Taylor late in the third clinched the title.

Guillaume Blouin was in goal both nights for the Flyers.

Wilson said they had a great group of players in the dressing room. They had injuries during the regular season, but they played hard amid the adversity, and new players they brought in gelled with the returning talent.

“Our core guys, our hometown guys here brought them in and took them under their wing,” said Wilson.

A few players from last year’s team decided to play for the resurrected Carlyle Cougars team this season. They were missed, Wilson said, but their roles were filled.  

The Wheat Kings reached the final in their first season in the league, and Wilson praised them for their play.

“They have a very, very good hockey club over there, right from top to bottom,” said Wilson. “And then their fans, it makes it a lot tougher to play in a barn when they have good fan support.”