JOSH LEWIS
The Clarion
Judging by Monday’s rookie game in Eston, the future is every bit as bright as the present for the Kindersley Klippers.
Cody Thiel and Brennan Bosovich both scored twice to help the Klippers to a 8-3 victory over the Battlefords North Stars in the annual pre-season rookie game.
Kiley Long, Jeff Olson, Colby Daniels and Brett Penner also scored for Kindersley. Blake Young, Joel Blaquiere and Bryden Serafini had the Stars’ goals.
The Klippers had period leads of 4-2 and 6-3 and also dominated the shot clock.
“You always want to play to win and these kids wanted to win,” said head coach Larry Wintoneak. “That pace was good. I didn’t think they could keep up at times. We really hemmed them in good.”
It was another impressive outing for Thiel, a 17-year-old defenceman, and it earned him another chance to impress the brass. After Monday’s performance, Thiel was pencilled into the line-up for Tuesday’s game in Brooks.
“They felt good, right off the bat there. It got me going,” he said of the goals. “I felt confident. I made a couple of mistakes, but every game you’re going to have a couple. You just bounce back and forget about them and make good plays and everything goes good then.”
Thiel scored both markers from almost the same spot, just to the right of the net, one on a rebound and another on a slick cross-ice pass.
“I played forward my whole life in minor hockey, so I love being in the rush and getting up in there,” he explained. “I don’t care about points, I just like helping my team out and doing my best.”
Other players who impressed on Monday included Bosovich (‘93), Daniels (‘94), defenceman Nicholas Howell (‘94) and wingers Pearce Gourley (‘92) and Tanner Kissick (‘92).
Howell threw his weight around for a 16-year-old and impressed the Klippers enough that they listed him that day.
“You could see it on the bench. They were up and not one guy wanted to quit,” Wintoneak said of the energy. “There were no issues whatsoever with the way we played, I didn’t think.”
The Klippers have exhibition games tonight in Battlefords and Saturday in Humboldt.
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