The Moose Jaw U15 AA Warriors have already seen some solid results in Sask AA Hockey League play, and now that success is translating into impressive tournament showings.
The Warriors put together a 3-2 record at the Winnipeg Jets AAA Classic tournament this past weekend, winning the ‘C’ side in the process.
Moose Jaw opened the tournament with a 10-6 loss to the Regina Pat Blues, but rebounded with one of their biggest wins of the season -- a 5-3 victory over the Winnipeg Wild Red, who hadn’t lost a game in regulation in the Manitoba AAA league this season.
Their luck wouldn’t continue in their final game of the round robin, though, as they’d lose a heartbreaker 4-2 to the Pembina Valley Hawks.
The 1-2 record sent the Warriors into the ‘C’ side playoffs, and it was clear sailing from there. Moose Jaw rolled to a 4-1 win over the Parkland Rangers and followed up with a 5-2 victory over the Southwest Cougars to claim the ‘C’ side championship.
Ryan Gibbs and Carson Deichert continued their solid seasons, with Gibbs leading the team in scoring for the weekend with five goals and 12 points over the five games, while Deichert had seven goals and 11 points in the same span.
Goaltender Jayce Finiak emerged as the star of the show, though, as he was named the tournament’s All-Star Goaltender, an honour that could come with some significance in the near future as it was voted on by Western Hockey League scouts.
Finiak finished the tournament with a 2-0 record, 2.00 goals against average and .939 save percentage.
The Warriors are right back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 29 when they host the Weyburn Wings. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Bert Hunt Arena.
