A team generating all sorts of scoring chances, not getting rewarded and eventually dropping a decision in a game where they carried the play much of the way?
Sounds an awful lot like a certain Western Hockey League franchise that also plays in Mosaic Place.
At least the news wasn’t all tough for the AAA Warriors on the weekend, though, as before dropping a 6-2 decision in a game they dominated, they picked up a 4-3 overtime win on Saturday night.
“Obviously it’s tough when you lose a game like that, but we did a lot of good things,” Warriors head coach Trevor Weisgerber said after the loss. “Looking at it that way, you play some of those games where you end up not coming out on top, when we had them 2-1 we should have had that killer instinct and got the next one. Then they get a couple of bounces and a couple of greasy goals and all of a sudden we’re down 3-2. That’s the way it goes.”
Brady Wilson had the Warriors’ lone goal in the first period as the two teams were tied 1-1, and Blake Ekren-Bratton gave Moose Jaw the lead with 6:28 to play in the second period.
With the way the Warriors were carrying the play, things looked exceptionally good -- until the Battlefords scored goals 1:34 apart late in the period to take the lead out of a frame where they gave up 21 shots.
“Obviously we ran into a hot goaltender, but they played well,” Weisgerber said. “They just get pucks out and they work hard, it’s just one of those games where you get an insurance goal and it changes the game. But we’re still happy with our effort.”
Ryan Bain took the loss with a 28-save performance, Matthew Ofukany was outstanding for Battlefords with 39 saves, many of the spectacular variety as the Warriors pressed.
“The last little bit we’ve had some trouble scoring, we went through that stretch where we were scoring a bunch and now we’re kind of snakebitten,” Weisgerber said. “So we just have to stick with it and make things tough on other teams, get in front of the goaltender and go for those greasy ones.”
Saturday, the Warriors had goals from Wilson, Jackson Allan and Rowan Calvert and looked to have things in hand before Battlefords tied the game with 49 seconds remaining.
Overtime didn’t last long, though, as Calvert -- who had signed a WHL player agreement with the Saskatoon Blades earlier in the day -- scored with 2:56 gone to give the Warriors the 4-3 win.
Moose Jaw is back in action Wednesday night when they travel to Regina to face the Pat Canadians. The Warriors aren’t back on home ice for a game until Saturday, Nov. 20 when they host the Yorkton Maulers.
