MOOSE JAW -- It was another productive weekend for the Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors, as they picked up three out of a possible four points against the Saskatoon Blazers in Sask Male AAA Hockey League action.
The Warriors took a 7-3 victory in the opener Saturday but dropped a 6-5 shootout decision in the rematch Sunday afternoon at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Moose Jaw is now 27-7-3 on the season and sit a point back of the Regina Pat Canadians for second place in the 12-team league. The Blazers are now 22-9-2 to sit in fifth place overall.
Warriors 7, Saskatoon 3
The Warriors couldn’t have asked for a better start, scoring three goals in a span of five minutes midway through the first period to take the early lead.
Gage Nagel, Brennan Brown and Noah Thul all hit the scoresheet in the opening frame as Moose Jaw built a 3-0 edge.
Saskatoon’s Blake Chorney got one back shorthanded 4:05 into the second, but only 25 seconds later, Kieren Osberg scored on the same power play to restore the three-goal edge.
The Blazers’ Cooper Ernewein and Moose Jaw’s Ryan Gibbs then exchanged goals late in the period, giving the Warriors a 5-2 lead through two.
Saskatoon wasn’t about to go quietly, though, and a goal from Kash Ringdel 6:01 into the third once again made it a two-goal game, but that’s as close as they’d get.
Maxx Fuessel made it 6-3 Warriors lead with 12:20 to play and Wade Franks finished things off with an empty netter with 1:43 remaining in regulation.
Moose Jaw’s Luke McKechnie stopped 29 shots for his league-leading 18th win of the season, while Madex Kabrud allowed four goals on five shots in 24:31 for Saskatoon before Reid Wasserman turned aside 18 the rest of the way.
Saskatoon 6, Moose Jaw 5
Neither team was able to take control of the contest, with things ending up back-and-forth throughout and goals often coming in bunches.
Chorney opened scoring with 8:36 to play in the first, but Franks and Brennan Brown responded in the final 7:43 of the period to take a 2-1 lead out of the frame.
Ethan Hamilton and Will Degagne scored two minutes apart early in the second to give the Blazers a 3-2 lead, but two minutes after Degagne’s goal Osberg would tie the game, and Thul would make it 5-3 Moose Jaw with 9:32 to play in the period.
Two more quick goals would give Saskatoon the lead heading into the third, as Eric Grandberg tied the game again with 4:21 to play and Sutton Verot made it 5-4 only 17 seconds later.
There things would remain until 6:47 remained in the contest when Gibbs scored his 32nd of the season, eventually sending things into overtime.
Nothing would be solved there, and the shootout would see Shane Basran score the lone goal in the fourth round to give the Blazers the win.
Kabrud stopped 30 shots to earn the win, McKechnie took the loss with 29 saves.
The WINMAR Warriors are back in action Friday when they travel to Swift Current to face the Legionnaires. Game time is 8 p.m.
The Blazers return to the ice Thursday when they host the Warman Wildcats. Puck drop is 7:45 p.m.
