Wanner’s Warriors Win Wild One
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Harper Lolacher and Vaughn Watterodt - photo credit Saskatoon Blades Twitter
After pulling out a gritty home victory over the Saskatoon Blades on Tuesday night, your Moose Jaw Warriors were in the perfect position to enact some serious change in the East division.
Prior to the match only one point separated the two teams in their battle for second place, with Saskatoon having the small edge, but back-to-back wins in a home-and-away series would see the Warriors as the true #2 team in the division.
A win certainly wouldn’t come easy though.
No team in the WHL had given up less goals than Saskatoon and undoubtedly that stingy defence would be a factor moving forward.
This time it was the Blades who got the scoring started though, Egor Sidorov notching his 24th in the 4th minute.
Ultimately, the first period was a back-and-forth affair but Saskatoon’s daunting defence reigned supreme and Sidorov’s goal was the only.
Egor Sidorov scored the opening goal - photo credit Twitter
The game remained a defensive battle until the floodgates opened in the sixth minute and pucks started hitting mesh for a combined six goal frame.
Atley Calvert scored the first one, redirecting a Ryder Korczak shot to even the score.
Up until that goal Saskatoon had out-shot the tribe 19-5.
Ten seconds later Saskatoon’s Connor Roulette took advantage of a real bad bounce and gave his team the lead again.
That didn’t last long though, as a minute and-a-half later Korczak netted his 18th in 24 games, slinging the puck past Austin Elliott.
Ryder Korczak had a goal and an assist - photo credit Twitter
Almost immediately after that the Warriors struck again, taking their first lead of the game.
This time it was Jagger Firkus and a little toe-drag on a two-on-one, for his 23rd.
That goal was enough to force Blades coach Brennan Sonne to pull the goalie.
Just the night before Austin Elliott was the Second Star of the game, but on this night the Warriors offence had run him off the ice.
Things didn’t start off any better for Blades back-up goalie Ethan Chadwick as Atley Calvert banged home a rebound on a Firkus shot pretty quickly into his ice time.
The goal was Calvert’s team leading 25th.
Atley Calvert scored twice and now leads the team in goals scored - photo credit Twitter
Before the end of the period Saskatoon got one back, making it a one goal game.
The scorer was Connor Roulette with his second of the game.
Conor Roulette scored twice for Saskatoon - photo credit Twitter
The third period begun with the Blades looking desperately to get another puck past the phenomenal Connor Ungar.
They amped up the pressure and continued putting the puck to the net, just not inside it.
Whoever runs the Blades Twitter voiced their frustration ‘ photo credit Twitter
The heavy pressure paid off in the end and halfway through the frame the Blades tied things up when Trevor Wong scored his 16th goal.
After 60 minutes of play the game headed to overtime.
The game had a playoff feel to it with both teams putting everything on the line to win.
Only 45 seconds into the overtime frame Maximus Wanner scored the winner, silencing the Blades’ fans in the SaskTel centre.
Wanner’s 8th capped off an excellent game and an excellent pair of mid-week matches.
That’s four straight for the boys; they’re getting hot at the right time.
Wanner’s winner was named the game’s First Star, Conor Roulette and Atley Calvert, who had four points, were second and third.
Max Wanner scored the OT winner - photo credit Twitter
The Warriors will have an even bigger test in front of them this weekend as they’re headed for Winnipeg where they will play twice against the East Division leading AND league leading Winnipeg Ice.