MOOSE JAW -- Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product Carson Deichert will undoubtedly score many more goals for the Moose Jaw Warriors in the coming years, but Friday night was a special one.
The 16-year-old forward hit the scoresheet for the first time in his Western Hockey League career with a first-period goal and the Warriors would go on to a 4-3 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
The win was a morale-booster for the home squad, too, as it snapped a 12-game losing skid and saw the Warriors improve to 11-30-4-2 to sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. Brandon improved to 23-16-3-3 and sit seventh in the Conference.
Deichert’s goal came with 5:27 to play in the first period and it was a nice one, as he took a drop pass from Owen Berge and got off a shot through a screen from the left face-off circle that found the top corner glove side.
“It feels amazing, the first one is always the best and I’m glad I could make my shot count,” Deichert said on the Warriors post-game show. “I spent a lot of the summer training with Kinger (associate coach Scott King) and just working on my shot and picking corners, and playing at the AAA level is giving me confidence to score when I have the opportunity.”
As one of the younger players in the Moose Jaw line-up, Deichert is gradually getting used to playing in the WHL in his call-ups from the WINMAR Warriors.
“I’m feeling a lot more comfortable, all the guys are really welcoming and it makes it a lot easier to feel comfortable with them,” he said. “Getting confidence just comes as you practice and get used to the speed and pace of the game.”
Connor Schmidt gave the Warriors a 1-0 lead early, popping out of the penalty box and taking a feed from Ryder Ellis before going in on a breakaway and putting a shot top shelf glove side at 4:21
Matteo MIchels tied things up for Brandon just over three minutes later, but Krzysztof Macias would get that one right back, taking advantage of a turnover at centre ice to go in on another breakaway and this time putting a shot low blocker side on goaltender Ethan Eskit.
Deichert then made it 3-1 and the Warriors looked to be in control of things, but Luke Shiply would get Brandon back within a goal before the period was out.
There things would remain until the 3:21 mark of the third period, when Carter Klippenstein would tie things up and eventually send things to overtime.
Nothing was solved there, sending things to a shootout.
There, Luke Moroz would score on a nifty stickhandling move as the Warriors’ third shooter, and Matthew Hutchison would make the save on Shipley -- with the puck popping in the air and dropping behind the Warriors goaltender just in front of the goal line -- and Moose Jaw had their win.
Hutchinson was solid all night and finished with 42 saves, while Eskit turned aside 23.
The Warriors are back in action on Saturday when they host the Red Deer Rebels for their annual Hockey Fights Cancer Night. Jerseys for the contest are now up for auction, which you can check out by clicking right here.
Puck drop is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
