The Lloydminster Bandits held off a furious late-game push by the Killam Wheat Kings to secure a 6-5 victory on Saturday night at the Cenovus Energy Hub.
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With the win, the Bandits maintain their early-season momentum in North Eastern Alberta Junior B Hockey League action, improving to a 3-0 record.
Lloydminster jumped out of the gate quickly, establishing a dominant 3-0 lead in the opening period thanks to goals from Adryan Bugiera, Kobi Weber, and a power-play marker by Carson Mazzei. The Bandits extended that advantage to 5-0 in the second frame before the Wheat Kings mounted a comeback.
Killam clawed back with three consecutive goals in the second period — including tallies from Cade Schatschneider and Dylan Kruchten — to narrow the gap to 5-3. After Maddux Woodbury restored a three-goal cushion for Lloydminster early in the third with a shorthanded strike, the Wheat Kings continued to press with goals from Jordan Gagnon and Schatschneider’s second of the night.
Bandits goaltender Ryan Stepanick stood tall under heavy pressure, turning aside 36 of 41 shots to earn the victory. At the other end, Ethan Edwards faced 38 shots for Killam.
Both teams combined for a physical battle featuring 72 total penalty minutes, culminating in a late game misconduct to Lloydminster’s Cayden Wildeman.
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