Brandon 6 Calgary 2

The Brandon Wheat Kings snapped a 2-2 second period tie scoring four unanswered goals en route to a 6-2 win over the Calgary Hitmen Thursday night at Scotiabank Saddledome.

The win gives Brandon a 1-0 lead in the Best-of-Seven Eastern Conference Quarter-Final Series with Game 2 tomorrow night (Friday 7:00 p.m.) in Calgary.

                                             Photo Credit:  Brad Watson

Darian Dziurzynski scored twice for the visitors while Mark Stone, Michael Ferland and Alessio Bertaggia all chipped in a goal and an assist.  Corbin Boes was solid in the Wheat Kings net making 34 saves to pick up the win.

After falling behind 2-0 midway through the first period, the Hitmen bounced back to tie the game on goals from Brooks Macek and Alex Gogolev.

But any thoughts of a Calgary comeback were wiped out when Brandon scored twice 32 seconds apart in the third period to turn a 3-2 lead into 5-2.

The Hitmen played without the services of two of their top three scorers, Cody Sylvester and Victor Rask, who are both listed as game time decisions for tomorrow's Game 2.

Click here to listen to a post game interview with Hitmen Head Coach Mike Williamson

Click here to listen to a post game interview with Wheat Kings forward Darian Dzuirzynski

Post Game Notes:  Trevor Cheek led all Hitmen with seven shots on goal, while Danny Gayle and Brooks Macek were next with four each.  Alessio Bertaggia topped the Wheat Kings with six shots while Darian Dzuirzynski had five.

Brandon Wheat Kings 6 at Calgary Hitmen 2
Thursday, March 22, 2012 - Scotiabank Saddledome - Calgary, AB

Brandon 2 1 3 - 6
Calgary 1 1 0 - 2

1st Period
1, Brandon, Swyripa 1 (Bertaggia, Miller), 8:41.
2, Brandon, Dziurzynski 1 (Mraz, Ciarelli), 9:27.
3, Calgary, Macek 1 (Bowman, Roach), 19:01.
Penalties-Bubnick Cal (roughing), 3:03; Swyripa Bdn (tripping), 13:44; Bubnick Cal (charging), 15:29.

2nd Period
4, Calgary, Gogolev 1 (Macek, Bowman), 1:16 (PP).
5, Brandon, Stone 1 (Ferland), 16:13.
Penalties-Ferland Bdn (tripping), 0:34.

3rd Period
6, Brandon, Ferland 1 (Stone), 6:22.
7, Brandon, Dziurzynski 2 (Roy, Ciarelli), 6:50.
8, Brandon, Bertaggia 1 (Meilleur, Waltz), 16:15.
Penalties-Dziurzynski Bdn (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 11:45; Brassart Cal (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 11:45.

Shots on Goal-Brandon 12-11-9-32. Calgary 11-13-12-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Brandon 0 / 2; Calgary 1 / 2.
Goalies-Brandon, Boes 1-0-0-0 (36 shots-34 saves). Calgary, Driedger 0-1-0-0 (32 shots-26 saves).
A-8,229
Referees-Chris Crich (80), Sean Raphael (28).
Linesmen-Reid Anderson (53), Jeff Jobson (52).