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AAA Warriors pick up wins in first two exhibition games of season

Moose Jaw takes 5-2 victory over Swift Current Sunday to open pre-season Sunday, defeat Regina 5-3 Tuesday as SMAAAHL campaign begins
AAAs Tisdale Bain save
Ryan Bain was the winning goaltender in the AAA Warriors exhibition season opener this past weekend.

So far, so good for the Moose Jaw Warriors in the Sask Male AAA Hockey League pre-season.

And while the games might not mean anything at the moment when it comes to the standings, gaining that confidence and figuring out how to win is always a bonus this time of year.

The Warriors opened their exhibition slate with a 5-2 victory over the Swift Current Legionnaires on Sunday night before taking a 5-3 win over the Regina Pat Canadians on Tuesday, with both games taking place at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

Moose Jaw got off to a solid start in their pre-season opener, taking a 1-0 lead out of the first period and tacking on three more goals in the second for a 4-0 edge.

It was a pair of veterans who led the offence, as Connor Miller scored the Warriors’ first two goals before Jake Briltz added shorthanded and power play markers in the second for the four-goal lead.

Dylan Duzan made it a 5-0 game 2:43 into the third period before the Legionnaires scored a pair of goals shortly after to get back within three.

Liam Fitzpatrick contributed three assists while Caleb Potter had a pair of helpers for the Warriors.

Ryan Bain had 14 saves to earn the win in goal.

Things were far closer in the early going against Regina, as the Pat C’s scored 14 seconds into the proceedings but saw the Warriors score a pair of late power-play goals to take a 2-1 lead.

Regina tied the game with another early goal in the second, but a pair of Grady Hoffman markers four minutes apart put Moose Jaw up by two. The teams exchanged goals in the final nine minutes to send the Warriors into the final frame with a two-goal lead, and that’s where things would remain.

Ryder Knutson scored twice for the Warriors in the penalty-filled contest -- a total of 21 minors were called, with Moose Jaw 3-for-10 on the man advantage and Regina 1-for-11 -- while Miller and Max Threinen picked up two assists each.

Ryan Hicks had a solid night in net, making 32 saves to earn the win.

The AAA Warriors have two exhibition games remaining on their schedule, as they travel to Regina on Friday before facing Swift Current in Gull Lake on Sunday. 

The Warriors open their regular season on Friday, Sept. 23 when they host the Battlefords Stars. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

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