MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- With the way things went for the Moose Jaw Mustangs in the South Sask Lacrosse League U17 division this season, it wouldn’t be difficult to harken back to a different era for the local squad.
Back when the likes of Ken Stewart, David Mitchell and Derek Burns were running the show for the Mustangs in the 2000s, double digit wins and lopsided scores were often the norm -- to the point that the result of their games was often a foregone conclusion.
Such was pretty much the case for the Mustangs all season, and especially this past weekend during the provincial championship tournament in Weyburn.
The Mustangs posted a 14-0-1 regular season record -- outscoring their opposition 162-51 in the process -- and little changed in their quest for gold, as Moose Jaw rolled past the QCMBL Chill 14-5, downed the Weyburn Thrashers 12-7 and capped off their run with an 11-2 win over the Thrashers in the final.
Moose Jaw 14, QCMBL 5
The Mustangs got their weekend off to a great start, scoring six goals in the first period and building an 11-3 lead through two.
Lachlan Clark led the offence, scoring five times, while Ryder Gilroy and Cooper Bruce each had two goals and three points. Brodyn Pladson had a goal and three points of his own, while Sam Wilson, Riley Bender, Hayden Nidesh and Joey Juchacz added single markers.
Kashton Smith played set up man, racking up five assists.
Brayson Agopsowicz scored for QCMBL in each period and finished with four points, Ryder Unique and Gavin Bergen had their other goals.
Moose Jaw 12, Weyburn 7
Things were relatively close in their second outing, with the Mustangs taking a 3-2 lead out of the first period and leading 8-5 through two.
The Thrashers were unable to close the gap, though, and Moose Jaw booked their spot in the championship game.
Pladson led the way with two goals and five points, while Gilroy had a hat trick and four points. Clark also scored three, while Smith scored twice and had three points. Bruce and Carter Hudyma picked up a goal and assist each; Chase Folk and Roman Markin had two assists apiece.
Nash Hignett scored three for Weyburn, Brody Morrice, Max Vennard, Kaleb Sheasby and Wyatt Mickler had single markers.
Moose Jaw 11, Weyburn 2
Things weren’t nearly as close in the gold medal game, as the Mustangs built a 3-1 lead in the first and extended their edge to 8-2 through two periods.
Markin’s two goals and five points paced Moose Jaw, with Clark recording a hat trick and four points to go along with two goals and three points from Gilroy. Smith had another three assists, while Wilson, Bruce and Folk each had a goal and two points. Nash Williams had the Mustangs’ other goal, Avery Nielson picked up two assists.
Alex Labrecque scored both goals for Weyburn.
The Mustangs now turn their attention to the Sask Lacrosse provincial U17 championship, with that tournament taking place this weekend. Keep an eye on www.sasklacrosse.net for scores and updates.
