The Weyburn Red Wings returned to the .500 mark early on in the 2000-01 Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League season after returning home from the first northern road trip, taking two of the three games.

The Wings kicked off their first venture north Friday in Kindersley to battle the Klippers.

Weyburn didn't waste any time in the weekend's opening contest as Arden Hill, Minn. native Morgan Buetow caught the Klippers power play off guard to pot his first of the season at the 9:15 mark of the first.

Hometown boy Steve Seghers put the Wings ahead by two mid-way through the second period with his first of the season as well.

The Klippers figured out Red Wings goaltender Terry Denike early in the third as Evan Schwabe put Kindersley on the board at the 1:24 mark.

Five minutes later Jason Vermeulen countered for the Red Wings to extend their lead back to two before Kindserley's Shaun Aebig rounded out the scoring at the 15:12 mark.

The game turned ugly in the third as a trio of fights broke out at the 12:31 mark. Trying to flex a little muscle on home ice the Klippers didn't stop there as another ruckus broke out after the final buzzer.

In all both team combined for 121 penalty minutes, including 77 minutes and six fighting majors in the final frame.

Denike was solid between the pipes for the Red Wings stopping 28 Klippers shots to pick up his second win of the season.

Weyburn travelled north the next night for a rematch of last year's Hanbidge Cup finals with the Battlefords' North Stars.

Again the Red Wings drew first blood as former North Star Seghers opened the scoring on an unassisted goal, 2:51 into the game for his second goal in as many nights. The North Stars took the lead in the second on goals from Brett Harrison and Boyd Kampen before Vermeulen replied with his fifth of the season. With the game knotted at two the North Stars blew it wide open in the third as Curtis Olson, Jamie Miller and Brent Salzl beat Kevin Myson with three unanswered goals to put the game away.

Although they were outscored Weyburn outshot the North Stars 38-24 including 13-10 in the third where the North Stars took control.

With a split of the first two games the Red Wings made the trip to Humbolt to finish the weekend trip against the Broncos.

After a scoreless opening period the Broncos got on the board 1:34 into the second when Chris Frohlick beat Denike. Weyburn turned it up a notch after giving up the opening goal as they replied with five unanswered goals of their own to bury the Broncos 5-1. Matt Bothwell, James Laux, Christian Cote, Vermeulen and Casey Vanschagen each counted for Weyburn.

Denike stopped 14 shots in the game to pick up his third win of the season.

The line of Vanschagen, Bothwell and Vermeulen were dominant in Humbolt as they combined eight points.

Weyburn head coach Dwight McMillan couldn't be much more pleased with his squad as they took two of three on the weekend.

"The biggest thing we are pleased with was our overall defensive play," said McMillan. "We had a real strong work ethic. Everybody gave us 100 per cent in all three games - that shows some character."

For Bothwell, a second year Red Wing centre from Pueblo, Colo., the success the team had over the first weekend road trip is something to build from.

"It's huge, especially for this road trip," said Bothwell, who added the trip was a test early in the season as Kindersley and the Battlefords should be atop the league standing this season. "We just know we can compete with anybody - it's a big confidence booster."

The Red Wings roster will be a little lighter Friday in Yorkton and Saturday at home against Nipawin as Nathan Ward, Mike Costley, Nathan Erick and Seghers have all been suspended for a pair of games due to their actions in Kindersley.