MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- The Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors are off to a decent start in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League, and their solid play continued this past weekend.
The Warriors battled to a 5-3 victory over the Saskatoon Contacts on Saturday night at the Moose Jaw Events Centre before rolling to a 9-1 win in the rematch Sunday afternoon, improving to 3-1-0 through the early weeks of the campaign.
The losses were the first of the season for the Contacts, who fell to 2-2-0.
Moose Jaw 5, Saskatoon 3
The Warriors scored three goals in the third period to snap a 3-3 tie before going on to their two-goal win.
Kierin Osberg scored goals two minutes apart early in the final frame to give Moose Jaw the lead, with that edge holding up until the final minute of the game.
Kayden Stroeder got Saskatoon back within one with 50 seconds remaining, but a Brennan Brown empty-net goal 18 seconds later would finish things off.
Brown also scored in the first period, while Tyler Hudec had the lone goal for Moose Jaw in the second.
Owen Chapman and Millar Anderson scored the other goals for the Contacts, who led 2-1 after the first period.
Luke McKechnie turned aside 26 shots to earn the win in goal, Nick Goodwin stopped 35 for Saskatoon.
Moose Jaw 9, Saskatoon 1
After a scoreless first period, the Warriors opened the floodgates in the second, pouring in six goals to take control of the game.
Keaton Lesperance scored twice in the period and would cap the game with his first career SMAAAHL hat trick and four points. Ryan Gibbs also had an impressive contest with two goals and five points, joining Lesperance with seven on the season to sit fifth in league scoring.
Max Fuessel had goals for Moose Jaw in the second and third periods, while Carson Deichert and Hudec scored the Warriors’ other markers. Deichert finished with three points on the afternoon, while Carson Park picked up three assists to go along with two helpers each from Charlie Nameth and Maxon Johnston.
WHL Warriors prospect Nash Coquet had the lone goal for Saskatoon.
McKechnie wasn’t all that busy in goal with 14 saves, Moose Jaw had 27 shots on Saskatoon starter Addy Price through 35:57; Goodwin stopped 14 the rest of the way.
Moose Jaw is back in action Wednesday when they travel to Wilcox to face the Notre Dame Hounds, while the Contacts play Thursday at home against Battlefords.
