MOOSE JAW -- The comeback is complete for the Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors, and now they’re off to the Sask Male AAA Hockey League championship final.
The Warriors scored four goals in the third period and would go on to a 6-2 victory in Game 5 of their semifinal series with the Swift Current Legionnaires, winning the series three-games-to-two after facing back-to-back elimination games.
As result, Moose Jaw will now face the Regina Pat Canadians in the SMAAAHL final, with the dates for that series to be announced shortly.
As was the case throughout the series, things were close through the first two periods.
Sam Kirwan gave Swift Current the lead 4:23 into the game, but Carson Park would get that back for Moose Jaw four minutes later and the teams would leave the opening frame tied 1-1.
The Warriors took their first lead at the 8:29 mark of the second thanks to Maxon Johnston’s first of the playoffs, and that edge would also last only four minutes, this time with Triston Mitchell-Mcelhone scoring shorthanded for the Broncos with 7:34 to play in the second.
That set the stage for the most important period of the season for both teams, and Moose Jaw would come through with flying colours.
Team captain Brennan Brown got things started 4:36 into the period, with Ryan Gibbs knocking down a Swift Current defender in the left face-off circle and getting a pass to Brown in front of the net, and a quick move later saw Moose Jaw with a 3-2 lead.
Brown struck again with a key insurance marker five minutes after his fifth of the playoffs, going in on a two-on-none with Noah Thul before keeping, getting off a shot in close and knocking home his own rebound.
Gibbs then made it a three goal lead with 3:37 to play, pouncing on a turnover at the Swift Current blueline and going in on a breakaway before tucking the puck around a downed Berney Weston.
Thul then added an empty-netter with 43 seconds to play, and the Warriors were off to the league final.
Luke McKechnie turned aside 25 shots for the Warriors, who had 28 shots on Weston.
The schedule for the SMAAAHL Final has yet to be announced, but be sure to keep an eye on www.smaaahl.com for an update on Saturday.
