Hunter and Kings sink Clippers on the road

Brent Forster - RDC

Caronport, SK – Fourth-year centre Austin Hunter's shorthanded tally late in the third turned out to be the eventual game winner. The Kings opened the scoring and added a trio of goals in the final stanza, earning a hard-fought 4-3 road victory over the Briercrest College Clippers.

Four different Kings found the back of the net. Third-year Mathieu Lapointe opened the scoring at 13:42 of the first period. 

Lapointe (91) scored his ninth goal and 17th point

After a scoreless middle frame, six goals were scored in the third.

Kings fifth-year forward Dylan Thudium put his squad up a pair, beating Clippers goaltender Dan Dekoning on the power play at 7:41. 

After Briercrest's Russell Olson pulled the home team within one, RDC's Scott Ferguson restored the two-goal cushion just over a minute later.

Olson recorded his second of the period and then Halen Cordoni connected on the man-advantage, evening the contest 3-3.

When overtime looked like a possibility, the Kings' penalty kill came up big. Dekoning left his crease, but misplayed the puck. Austin Hunter picked up the loose puck and found the open net with 1:26 remaining. It was his ninth goal of the season. 

Dekoning was pulled for the extra skater, but Kings goaltender Arik Weersink shut the door. The Red Deer College Kings sealed a 4-3 win.

Six different RDC Kings recorded an assist.

Austin Hunter was named the Kings Player-of-the-Game. Dan Dekoning was recognized for the Clippers.

Weersink turned aside 30 shots. Dekoning made 34 saves.

Weersink (31)

The Kings went one-for-six on the power play. The Clippers connected once on three tries.

The second place Red Deer College Kings (19-5-2-0) will round out the regular season in a home-and-home series against the SAIT Trojans (12-10-1-3). On Friday, Feb. 28, the Kings will host the Trojans at 5:00 pm.