Mateychuk’s Five Points Spur Warriors Win
By @MJWarriorsFun (Twitter) @moosejawwarriors_history (Instagram)
The Victoria Royals aren’t a very good hockey team. They’re actually the worst team in the WHL. Coming into Tuesday night’s game, at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena they were a paltry 3 wins and 17 losses, with three OT losses.
Save on Foods Memorial Arena - photo credit Twitter
Interesting historical side note. Like the Moose Jaw Warriors, the Victoria Royals also once played in popular arena that’s since been torn down. They called it the Victoria Memorial Arena, a.k.a the Barn on Blanchard, it was the home of such teams as the Royals, the Victoria Cougars and the Victoria Salsa until 2003.
The Barn on Blanchard - photo credit Twitter
Your Moose Jaw Warriors, on the other hand, had won back-to-back road games and four out of their last five. Two out of three during their Western Canada Road Trip
The Royals gave the boys a scare early on, scoring the opening goal 0:49 seconds in. But then the Warriors scored a barrage of goals, seven of them, unanswered.
The first one came when Lucas Brenton sent Brayden Yager on a breakaway in the 13th minute of the first period. The goal was Yager’s 14th of the season.
Then, in the 19th minute, Jagger Firkus netted his 15th, sniping a shot off of a Ryder Korczak face-off. The goal furthered Firkus point scoring streak to 18 consecutive games.
Two minutes into the second period Lucas Brenton set up another breakaway with a stretch pass, this time to Harper Lolacher, for his second of the season.
Lucas Brenton set up two breakaway goals)
Atley Calvert scored in the tenth minute. Knocking the Royals goalie’s water bottle from the top of the net.
In the 19th minute, Korczak scored from the exact same spot, just with a little less panache.
Seven minutes into period three Atley Calvert notched his second of the evening and twelfth of the season. Then Denton Mateychuk got his sixth, sneaking past the Royals defence and receiving a pass from Josh Hoekstra that left him one-on-one with the goalie.
Look at this little guy, Atley Calvert in 2018, with Caronport’s Prairie Hockey Academy. Calvert Scored twice in Tuesday’s game - photo credit Jeff Calvert Twitter
In an interesting turn of events, Victoria got one back; short-handed, no less. Riley Gannon flipped the puck over Cosmo Wilson’s stick, split the D, then beat Connor Ungar.
In the 18th minute Nathan Pilling batted home a rebound off a Mateychuk shot for an 6 goal lead.
That assist was Mateychuk’s fourth of the night, add his goal to that and you’ve got a five point night from the Captain.
Denton Mateychuk had five points - photo credit Twitter
The Royals got one back shortly after that but it was far too little, far too late. Moose Jaw won 8-3.
Mateychuk, Calvert and Riley Gannon were the game’s three stars. The Warriors have now won three straight road games and are 3-1 on their trip through Western Canada.
They’ll be in Vancouver to take on the Giants tonight.