Two games in the Big Six on Friday night, the first being between two teams looking to pull ahead of each other. At home, the Kipling/Windthorst Oil Kings were looking to have their record above .500 for the first time this season, while the visiting Bienfait Coalers were coming in fresh off breaking a three-game losing skid.

Both teams started goaltenders who had an average of at least .800 goals per game, Trustyn McKay for the Oil Kings and Zack Miller of the Coalers. 

The Coalers have had some trouble with getting a full squad to make the trip out to some of their games this season, in fact their leading scorer from last year Wyatt Garagan has only been in two of their six games of their season so far. 

To start the game, both teams took some time to feel each other out before the scoring would finally start, and it would be the visiting team getting the ball rolling. Coalers' Dylan Herzberg would bring the puck over the blew line for his team halfway through the first and fire a shot on goal, a weak shot that would flutter its way to the net and squeak under the arm of Trustyn McKay. The goaltender would hang his head for a few moments after the lone first period goal as it was a shot that should not have made it's way in.

After one: 1-0 Bienfait.

The second period would go to the Coalers once more, and this time the scoring would only take 23 seconds to start. Mason Benning would fire a shot on goal from the point, and McKay would make the save and kick out a rebound that he attempted to cover. While his glove was down, Keegan Malaryk would find the loose rebound and pot it into the open net left for him.

Only a few moments later, the Coalers would add their third of the game when last year's leading Coaler scorer Wyatt Garagan would break into the zone with a head of speed and unleash a lazer of a wrist shot over the shoulder of McKay to put his team up by three, a lead that would hold until the end of the second period.

After two: 3-0 Bienfait

The third period from the last broadcast from Kipling, the Oil Kings went toe-to-toe with the Wawota Flyers for a ten goal period, and while the scoring would pick up in the third, it would continue to be lopsided.

The home team would get a goal on the board after Cayley Bjork would chase the dump in into the corner and take control of it with a head of steam. He'd take the puck behind the net before sending a no look backhand shot between the pad and the post of Zack Miller. That would last less than a minute as the Coalers would ignite.

Carson Benning would take the puck down the right side of the ice for the Coalers on a two-on-one chance before sending a perfect pass across for Dallas Kickley, and he wouldn't miss as he'd write his name on the scoresheet, and minutes later Jason Hengen would find the puck off the rebound and wire in a one-timer passed a sprawling McKay for the 5-1 lead. Keegan Malaryk would add his team's sixth minutes later by tipping in a point shot from Hengen.

The Oil Kings would stop the bleeding for a moment as they would get their second of the game, Carson Harcourt would break down the right side of the ice and wind up for a slap shot, then stop up and send a pass to the stick of the rushing Dean Schiller who would send the puck up and over the glove of Miller.

After that, play would stay mostly in the Oil Kings zone, including the seventh for the Coalers as Blaine Herzberg would tap in a rebound on a scramble in front, a fairly large scrum near the bench of the Oil Kings that would result in two fights and game misconducts, and the game's final goal, again from the Coalers as Malaryk would smack in another rebound with :15 showing on the clock, good for the hat trick.

FINAL SCORE: 8-2 Bienfait

GAME NOTES:

In seven games in their inaugural season, the Oil Kings have not won or lost two consecutive games, they've rebounded from every loss this season.

The Coalers hit their first streak of the season after the win. Garagan has a goal in each of the three games he's played.

An update with the score and details of the Carlyle Cougars and the Carnduff Red Devils will be available soon.