ELK POINT - They called it “a little excitement in Elk Point” on Saturday night, as a penalty shot in overtime gave the Elk Point Elks a 6-5 win over the Kitscoty Monarchs of the SaskAlta Senior Hockey League.
The first game of 2024 for both teams saw the Monarchs with a 3-2 lead at the end of the first period, with Daine Franklin, assisted by Blake Bowman and Cole Bendixen, and Nick Anderson, assisted by Darwin Ward and Hayden Ludlage, providing the Elk Point markers.
The second period saw the Elks catch up with a goal by captain Kyle Kjenner off an assist by Anderson just under eight minutes into the frame, which had already seen two Elks and one Monarch sent to the sin bin, and the fourth Elks goal by Chayton Quinney, assisted by Ludlage and John Schmitt was quickly answered by the visitors.
Two minutes later, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties had both teams a man short, but it was a skirmish with 30 seconds left on the clock that sent one from each team out for the rest of the period with minors, one Monarch and two Elks out with 10 minute misconducts and one from each team out of the rest of the game with five minutes for fighting topped up with game misconducts.
The final period saw Kitscoty pull ahead with 13:14 left on the clock, but Chance Stepanick tied the score at 5-5 off an assist by Anderson with 58 seconds remaining, sending the game into overtime, where Kjenner scored the winner unassisted on a penalty shot.
The next Elks game is scheduled for Jan. 19 when they host the second place Paradise Hill Hawks in their final home game of the season, before making their return visit to Paradise Hill the following evening. Their final game of the regular season will be in Lashburn on Jan. 27 against the Flyers.