Ungar Sharp In Warriors Win

By @MJWarriorsFun (Twitter) @moosejawwarriors_history (Instagram)

Your Moose Jaw Warriors were looking to bounce back from an ugly opening to the road trip through the great Canadian west. On Wednesday night they gassed out against the Prince George Cougars, coughing up five unanswered goals and blowing a multi-goal lead.

On Friday November 25th they were at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, BC to battle the hometown Blazers, and they were looking to “right a wrong”.

Kamloops, led by big time goal scorer Logan Stankoven is right in the thick of the BC division championship race. They had a record of 10-4-3-1 coming into the game.

Moose Jaw started the first period the way they finished the last game: which is to say horribly. Connor Ungar, as per usual, was fantastic, saving everything the Blazers threw at him. But the Warriors took more penalties than their opposition and, again, they were massively outplayed and outshot. If not for the Ungartaker it could have been ugly. The teams exited period one deadlocked at zero.

Connor Ungar has to be an MVP candidate - photo credit Moose Jaw Warriors

The team repaid Ungar, with some goal support, in the second period. Perhaps the players were revitalized by the Ungartaker’s performance.

Medicine Hat got into some penalty trouble early on in the second and Moose Jaw really stuck it to ‘em for it, badly. Twice.

Ben Riche got the first one, re-directing a Max Wanner shot. Then, only a couple minutes later, Ryder Korczak netted his second of the year, to add a little insurance. Moose Jaw had just converted two penalties into two goals.

Brayden Yager added a third in the period, flipping a backhander past Kamloops goalie Michael Schnattinger. The goal was Yager’s 11th of the year and was assisted by Martin Rysavy.

Moose Jaw had a three goal lead heading into the third.

Kamloops quickly clawed right back into it though. Logan Stankoven scored less than a minute into the third period. Then Daylan Kuefler added one in the seventh minute. The Warriors were in a battle. Kamloops was applying heavy pressure onto a very tenuous Warriors lead. But Ungar held firm. The Warriors were spared from defeat.

Logan Stankoven is Kamloops’ star. He scored in the third period

Outshot 38-29 but still victorious. Connor Ungar had done it again.

(Stay tuned. I think I’ll make the case for why he’s the Team’s MVP in the next day or two.)

Somehow Ungar wasn’t awarded one of the game’s 3 stars. They went to Yager, Stankoven and Wanner.

The Warriors will be in Kelowna, for a game with the Rockets, on Saturday.