Moose Jaw Minor Hockey has another Hockey Regina league championship to its credit.
The Moose Jaw U18 B Warriors became the latest local crew to cap off their campaign with a title when they finished off their best-of-three championship series with a 2-0 win over the Regina Mustangs on the night of Mar. 27.
The Mustangs had pushed the series to the limit two nights earlier with a 5-1 win in Moose Jaw after the Warriors claimed Game 1 back on Mar. 23.
The Warriors also found themselves going to the third and deciding game in their semifinal series, opening with a 4-2 win over the Regina Blues on Mar. 12 before falling 3-2 in Regina on Mar. 17 and finishing things off with a 9-1 win at home on Mar. 19.
Moose Jaw went into the post-season with a 17-7-0 record and second place in the six-team league, one point back of the regular-season champion Mustangs.
Warriors 2, Mustangs 0
The Warriors did all they’d need to clinch the league title in the second period, scoring a pair of goals and holding Regina scoreless the rest of the way.
Judah Goodnough was a big part of that, as he picked up the shutout in goal.
Jett Baksa got things started offensively for Moose Jaw 1:31 into the frame and Borys Kotov added an insurance marker with 8:40 remaining.
Mustangs 5, Warriors 1
Things didn’t go as well in Game 2, as with their season on the line, the Mustangs scored four goals in the first period and never looked back on their way to their comfortable win.
Regina had extended their lead to 5-0 late in the second when Cashton Seaborg got Moose Jaw on the board with 3:42 to play.
Tuckyr Shpaiuk was in net for the loss.
Warriors 2, Mustangs 1
Moose Jaw opened the championship series with a hard-fought win in Regina, scoring once each in the first and second periods to secure the victory.
Benjamin King opened scoring 3:59 into the game and the Warriors held the lead until the Mustangs tied things up three minutes into the second.
Baksa would get that one back for Moose Jaw before the period was out, though, as the Warriors rode another solid goaltending performance from Goodnough the rest of the way.
Warriors 9, Blues 1
The deciding game of the semifinal series turned into a bit of a point night for the Warriors, as seven players finished with multi-point games.
Kendall Ebbett led the way with a goal and two assists, while Addison Cameron and Layne Gadd each had a pair of goals. Seaborg, Austin Kresch, Colton Ebbett and Teagan Bennett all capped their nights with a goal and an assist.
The Warriors scored twice in the first and extended their lead to 6-0 in the second before leading 7-1 through two. That was more than enough support for Shpaiuk, who turned in a solid showing and didn’t allow a goal until 2:54 remained in the second, when things were well in hand.
Blues 3, Warriors 2
Regina kept their season alive with a pair of goals in the first and a 3-1 lead through two.
Aidan Magee made things interesting late in the game after getting Moose Jaw within a goal with 4:03 to play, but they’d get no closer.
Kretsch scored the Warriors’ other goal with 1:20 to play in the first.
Coleton Mclellan took the loss in net.
Warriors 4, Blues 2
After receiving a first-round bye, the Warriors got their playoff run off to a perfect start with a goal in the first and two more in the second for a 3-0 lead heading into the final frame.
Colton and Kendall Ebbett each had a goal and an assist in the win, while Kretsch and Cameron had single markers.
Goodnough was the winning netminder.
