REGINA -- The Moose Jaw Warriors nearly saw one get away on Wednesday afternoon in Regina, but one of their most consistent performers of the season would end up saving the day.
Rilen Kovacevic scored his 21st goal of the season with 38 seconds remaining in regulation, and the Warriors would take a 4-3 victory over the Regina Pats at the Brandt Centre in Regina.
Moose Jaw improved to 10-21-3-1 and moved into a tie for 10th place in the Western Hockey League Eastern Conference with their second-straight win over the Pats. Regina dropped to 9-20-4-2 with their third straight loss.
The Warriors opened scoring at the 7:27 mark of the first period. Riley Thorpe did the heavy lifting on the play, outduelling a handful of Regina defenders to get a pass across the front of the net to Landen McFadden, who’d bang home his third goal of the season.
That would stand as the lone goal of the opening frame, and the Pats would have a 10-8 lead on the shot clock.
Moose Jaw went ahead by a pair with their fifth power play goal in as many games 35 seconds into the second period. Brayden Schuurman scored his first goal since missing more than two months due to injury, gathering up a rebound off an Aiden Ziprick shot and tucking it around Pats goaltender Madden Mulawka.
Ethan Semeniuk then made it a 3-0 game at the 6:04 mark, getting to a rebound off a shot by McFadden and winning a battle with a pair of Regina defenders before swatting the puck home.
The Warriors have had issues with closing out games all season, and the Pats saw to it things would once again be difficult for the visitors, scoring three goals in a span of 2:41 late in the second period to tie the contest.
Caden Brown got things started when he was left alone at the side of the net and was able to score on a feed from Zach Pantelakis with 5:47 to play in the period.
Only 2:21 later, Patelakis made it a one-goal game, taking a pass from John Babcock and hammering home a one-timer.
Anthony Wilson then completed the comeback 20 seconds after that goal, outduelling a defender at the side of the net to knock in a Braxton Whitehead rebound.
That set the stage for Kovacevic, who kept the teams from playing overtime by scoring on a one-timer from Aiden Ziprick from the left face-off circle, just as a Pats penalty expired.
The goal gives Kovacevic points in 14 of his last 15 games and a 10-game point streak, in which he has eight goals and 17 points.
Brady Smith turned in a solid showing in goal, with a handful of big saves in the third period to keep the game tied. He’d finish with 33 saves in the contest. Muwalka would have 19 stops for Regina.
The Warriors continue their busy slate of games on Friday when they host the Prince Albert Raiders. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
The Pats are back in action Saturday when they travel to Red Deer to face the Rebels.
