Korczak Hat-Trick Ices WHL’s Best Team
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The Boys Are Back in Town - Photo Credit Moose Jaw Warriors Twitter
After a nice break for the Christmas holidays your Moose Jaw Warriors were back on the ice at the Moose Jaw Events Centre for a date with the league leading Winnipeg Ice.
The two teams had met once already this season and it was Moose Jaw who came out victorious.
But the Ice are the top team in the league for a reason and the tribe certainly couldn’t go into the game thinking a repeat would be simple.
Ryder Korczak got the action started early when he got booked for an Interference penalty just 0:46 seconds into the game. The Warriors were able to kill the penalty off and Korczak made up for it by scoring the game’s first goal not long after. The goal was Korczak’s 9th. Despite playing in only 14 of the team’s 32 games, Korczak is the fourth highest scorer on the club.
Interesting statistic: in the first period, Korczak won all 7 of his face-offs.
Ryder Korczak was brilliant - photo credit Twitter
Winnipeg levelled the score out, late in the period, when Matthew Savoie scored his 13th of the season, and that’s how the period ended.
Less than a minute into the second period Ryder Korczak did it again. Atley Calvert did the dirty work, digging the puck out of the corner and sliding it out front of the Winnipeg net, where Korczak backhanded it home.
A fired up Korczak could be seen screaming something at the Ice’s Zach Benson before celebrating with him teammates.
WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU THINK KORCZAK WAS SAYING HERE?
A fight ensued in the 6th minute when Maximus Wanner dropped the gloves with Owen Pederson and traded knuckles with him.
It was high-stakes, old-timey hockey. Passions were clear, tempers were flaring, knuckles were bumping and the Warriors went to the dressing room with a small lead.
In period 3 it was Connor Ungar who once again became the team hero. He stopped all 13 of Winnipeg’s shots, finishing with 34 saves on 35 shots in total.
The Ungartaker was excellent again - MJ Independent file photo
Korczak completed the Hat-Trick by scoring into the empty net at 19:15, capping off a remarkable performance.
About those face-offs: Korczak won 20 out of 24. Those are pretty impressive numbers.
It should go without saying that Korczak was the game’s First Star and Ungar was Second. Matthew Savoie was awarded the Third Star.
Your Moose Jaw Warriors have now defeated the league’s best team both times they met. Winnipeg is the highest scoring team in the WHL and Moose Jaw has allowed only two goals against them in 120 minutes of game time.
Some simple hockey math tells me that if you keep beating the best team that makes you the best team.
You heard it here first. Moose Jaw Warriors are the best team in the league.
They will be back at the Hangar on Friday to battle Calder Anderson and Brandon Wheat Kings.
Warriors Notes:
Neither Robert Baco and Martin Rysavy were in the game; they were playing for Slovakia and the Czech Republic (respectively), at the World Juniors. In their absence Landon McFadden made his WHL debut.