MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- The Moose Jaw Warriors had quite a bit of luck on their side last season when it came to dealing with injuries -- something that was no small factor in their Western Hockey League Championship win.
The hockey gods appear to be trying to even that out with this year’s team.
With two of their 20-year-olds and four veterans from last season’s crew out of the line-up the Warriors turned in a spirited effort against the Medicine Hat Tigers at the Moose Jaw Events Centre but went on to drop a 6-3 decision.
Overage forwards Brayden Schuurman and Rilen Kovacevic along with Ethan Semeniuk and Max Finley were all sidelined Friday, with Moose Jaw slotting in a host of youngsters to try and fill their roles.
With that in mind, it was a solid start for the Warriors, as they were able to hem Medicine Hat in their zone much of the first couple minutes. That led to Owen Berge scoring the first goal of the game and his fourth of the season, tipping home a point shot by Connor Schmidt.
The marker came on the heels of good shift by Berge, Ethan Hughes and Riley Thorpe as they used a decent forecheck to keep the Tigers on their heels.
The Tigers had good pushback after the goal, and even with the Warriors keeping them to the outside in their own zone, a Bryce Pickford shot got through, and Mathew Ward would be in the right place in front of the net to bang the rebound home at the 7:16 mark.
Medicine Hat struck again a minute later. Oasiz Weisblatt forced a turnover in the Warriors zone, and a quick two-on-none with Gavin McKenna led to McKenna scoring and the Tigers taking the lead.
The Warriors did have other chances to tie the game -- a Lynden Lakovic partial breakaway and Hughes tipping a Schmidt point shot moments later -- but Medicine Hat would lead the opening frame with the lead.
It took Moose Jaw only 23 seconds to tie things up in the second. Lakovic broke down his wing into the Tigers zone and found Brayden Yager going hard to the net, with the Warriors captain finishing things off with a shot low glove side.
Nate Corbet restored the lead for Medicine Hat with 9:54 gone in the period, taking a pass on his wing after a three-on-two, finding tons of open space and putting a shot under the crossbar glove side.
The Warriors tied the game again a minute later. Yager started a quick rush by getting the puck up to Lakovic, and he’d find Kalem Parker for the backdoor pass and chip shot into the net through Harrison Meneghin’s pads.
There things stood until the 4:45 mark of the third when Medicine Hat again went up on the scoreboard. McKenna led a break out of the Tigers zone and found Weisblatt with a pass into the slot, with his shot going in high glove side.
Hunter St. Martin then made it a two-goal lead with 2:57 to play, getting a block on a shot in the Tigers zone and going the length of the ice on a two-on-one before putting a shot top shelf blocker side.
The short-handed goal was followed up minute later by an empty-netter by Andrew Basha, also on the same Warriors power play, closing out scoring in the game.
All in all, it was a commanding third period for Medicine Hat, who outshot the Warriors 17-2 in the period.
Jackson Unger faced 43 shots on the night, including 20 in the first period. Meneghin was far less busy, facing only 13 shots total.
The Warriors are back in action on Saturday night when they travel to Swift Current to face the Broncos. Puck drop is 7 p.m.
