Warriors Win Close One
By Twitter - @MJWarriorsFun Instagram - @moosejawwarriors_history
Your Moose Jaw Warriors carried into Saturday night their second 3 game losing streak in the last nine games. They hadn’t lost three straight all season until then, and were considered to be a dark horse Memorial Cup contender.
The wheels came off the cart, very publicly; and try as they might, it’s very difficult to remain dominant in this league when you’re without your All-Star goalie, an NHL prospect defender and a pair of regularly contributing young prospects.
This league is tough.
Well, the division rival Prince Albert Raiders were in town.
The same Prince Albert Raiders who had just walloped them two weeks earlier.
The first period was a good one from the Warriors; who came onto the ice wearing flashy, fan-designed jerseys.
The goaltending held strong and the offence provided a little spark, with two goals in short succession.
The Warriors in fan-designed jerseys - photo credit Moose Jaw Warriors Twitter
Jagger Firkus scored the first goal; while short handed no less.
The Raiders defence blundered the puck into Firkus’ stick and Firkus made them pay, skating the length of the ice before zipping the puck past the opposition keeper.
The goal was Firkus’s 32nd of the year.
Jagger Firkus scored first - photo credit Twitter
Eric Alarie got the second one, assisted by Tate Schofer, less than 2 minutes later.
One of those incidences where putting the puck in the net is all you need.
The fans were in to it. The team was flying. A two goal lead after one period of play.
They kept on plugging in the second period too.
Matthew Gallant scored.
His first goal too, which is pretty cool.
It was a really nice goal too. He sniped the puck from a wild angle most players wouldn’t even have considered and he did it with poise, confidence and precision.
Gallant has been making some high-IQ offensive plays lately, it hasn’t gone unnoticed. We haven’t seen the last of this kid.
Matthew Gallant scored a tough one - photo credit Twitter
Aiden Oiring and Niall Crocker connected to get one back for the Raiders halfway through the frame. Aiden & Niall? What is this? The Irish Tenors?
The Raiders started putting lots of pressure on Jackson Unger, firing a lot of shots in his direction.
But a penalty stifled all their momentum and Brayden Yager scored his 25th, on a Power Play.
The Raiders chipped away at the lead in the third period, scoring twice, to make a game out of it.
Keaton Sorenson and Evan Herman getting the tallies.
It was enough to put The Raiders in a position where they could pull their goalie and make one last surge to even things out.
But Ryder Korczak scored on the empty net and the Warriors hung on to a 5-3 victory.
Firkus, Niall Crocker and Eric Alarie were named the game’s 3 stars.
A gutsy win for the Warriors.
They’ve got the week off now and return for action on Friday in Swift Current.