After surrendering five goals to the Mintos in the third period and dropping a 6-1 decision in Prince Albert back on Nov. 28, the Warriors have been lights out ever since.
Literally.
After shutting out the Swift Current Legionnaires 4-0 on Wednesday night at Mosaic Place, the Warriors didn’t let up on the defensive side of things Friday at home against the Regina Pat Canadians, taking a 2-0 win over a team that has stood atop the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League standings all season.
The two wins saw the Warriors improve to 14-8-0-0 on the season, three points up on the Saskatoon Contacts and a point back of the Saskatoon Blazers, although both teams have three games in hand.
Warriors 4, Swift Current 0
The Warriors were able to limit the Legionnaires’ scoring chances on the night, holding Swift Current to only 16 shots total.
That made for a relatively easy showing for goaltender Ryan Bain, as the 15-year-old rookie equalled his lowest shots faced this season and picked up his first career shutout. The Hanley product now carries a 3.57 goals against average and .866 save percentage to go along with a 5-3-0-1 record.
The Warriors offence gave Bain all the support he’d need in the first period, as Blake Betson and Rowan Calvert -- who was called up to the Saskatoon Blades for their weekend Manitoba excursion the next day -- scored while Moose Jaw poured 18 shots on net.
Kayden Ostrom made it 3-0 in the second period and Daxin Peterson tacked on one more insurance marker in the third.
Orin Olson also had two assists in the contest.
The Warriors finished with 46 shots on the night.
Warriors 2, Regina 0
It was Ethan Fechter’s turn between the pipes against the high-scoring Pat Canadians on Friday night, and like Bain before him, there was no beating the Warriors starter.
Fechter would turn in a 24-save performance to also earn his first career shutout, and the 17-year-old first-year Meadow Lake product is now 9-4-0-1 on the campaign with a 3.28 goals against average and .889 save percentage.
Interestingly enough, the 24 shots were also the fewest Fechter has faced this season.
Fechter’s win was a little more stressful given how close things were -- Brady Wilson scored the game’s first goal with 7:26 to play in the first period, and Jake Briltz added a shorthanded insurance marker with just over three minutes gone in the second.
The Pat Canadians would outshoot the Warriors 10-5 in the third, but wouldn’t be able to hit the back of the Warriors’ net.
Moose Jaw will look to continue their 120-minute shutout streak on Sunday at home when they take on the Prince Albert Mintos. Game time is 1:30 p.m. at Mosaic Place.
