MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- It stands to reason that sooner or later the Moose Jaw Warriors are going to be rewarded in games where their effort and compete are completely on display.
Unfortunately for the local Western Hockey League club, Wednesday was not one of those nights.
The Warriors scored twice in the second period to overcome a 4-2 deficit but would fall in overtime as the Swift Current Broncos took a 5-4 victory in Swift Current.
It’s the second straight game Moose Jaw has picked up a point, and they now hold a 4-13-3-1 mark while moving into a tie for 10th place in the Eastern Conference with the Regina Pats.
The Broncos picked up their fifth-straight win, ninth victory in their last 10 games and have moved past the Saskatoon Blades for first place overall in the Conference.
It was a good start for Moose Jaw, as Rilen Kovacevic got loose on a shorthanded breakaway and scored his fourth goal in the Warriors' last five games at the 10:22 mark of the first.
That lead wouldn’t last the period, though, as Parker Rondeau and Clarke Caswell would score for the Broncos to give themselves a 2-1 edge after the opening frame.
Lynden Lakovic tied the game with missile of a shot from the high slot early in the second, with his 10th of the season coming at the 5:34 mark of the period.
Brady Birnie and Luke Mistelbacher saw to it the tie wouldn’t last long, though, as they scored at the 11:40 mark and at 17:26 respectively, giving Swift Current a 4-2 lead coming home.
Little changed in the first 10 minutes of the final period, but the Warriors would find a way to get things done in the game’s late stages.
Ethan Semeniuk made it a one-goal game when he put home the rebound off a Kovacevic shot in close with 8:04 remaining in the contest.
Just under four minutes later, Kalem Parker was in the right spot at the right time to pounce on a rebound and get off a spinning shot through a Broncos defender, tying the contest 4-4.
There things stood until 24 seconds remained in overtime, when Mistelbacher picked up the puck behind his net and went cost-to-coast, beating three Warriors in the Moose Jaw zone and putting a backhand top shelf for the winning goal.
Mistelbacher finished with two goals and four points on the night and has moved into second in WHL scoring with 35 points, four back of league scoring leader Gavin McKenna.
Brayden Yager picked up two assists for Moose Jaw.
Jackson Unger had 31 saves in the Warriors goal, while Joey Rocha stopped 33 at the other end of the ice.
The Warriors now have a week off before hosting the Saskatoon Blades on Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Swift Current returns to the ice Tuesday when Tri-City is at the InnovationPlex.
Both games are at 7 p.m.
