Midget Warriors pick up win, Bantams take tough loss in Sask AA Hockey League action

It was a bit of the good and a bit of the bad for the Moose Jaw Warriors in a pair of South Sask AA Hockey League contests at home on Saturday night.

The Warriors took a 5-2 win over the Weyburn Wings in Midget division action at Red Knight Arena before falling 15-3 to the Regina Monarchs in a Bantam division contest at Mosaic Place.

First, the good news.

Connor Ruckaber scored a pair of goals as the Midget Warriors built a 4-0 lead through two periods before holding off a Weyburn comeback in the final frame.

Brydon Bell finished the game with a goal and an assist while Brennan Watterson had a pair of helpers for the Warriors, who took a 1-0 lead out of the opening frame.

Ben Peterson and Landon McLellan had their other goals.

Both teams had plenty of opportunities to work on their special teams as the Warriors finished 1-for-9 on the power play and Weyburn went an astonishing 0-for-11.

Levi Dayman and Matt Morhart had the goals for Weyburn.

Jaxon Taupert got the start for Moose Jaw and turned aside 18 shots, Landyn McLachland had 27 saves for Weyburn.

The Warriors improved to 7-14-0-0 on the season and closed to within five points of the eighth and final playoff spot.

Things weren’t quite as good for the Bantam Warriors against their league-title-contending opponents.

Brady Birnie scored four times for Regina and finished with seven points on the night, while Carson Birnie had three goals and six points to go along with a three-goal, seven-point outing from Sam Oremba in their commanding win.

Bryce Boughen, Liam Fitzpatrick and Rowan Calvert all had single markers for the Warriors, who trailed 3-0 after the first and 8-1 through two.

Kayden McBeath also scored twice for Regina, Kyle Weisgarber, Cade Cole and Daelin Mizra Shordee all had single markers.

Tuckyr Shpiauk stopped 16 of 23 shots in 31:29 for Moose Jaw, while Judah Goodnough stopped four of 12 the rest of the way.

Regina goaltender Kenneth Marquart stopped all six shots he faced in the first period before giving way to Jaidyn Shaw, who made 13 saves the rest of the way.

Moose Jaw fell to 2-17-0-0 and sit in 10^th place in the South Division, 10 points out of a playoff spot.

The Bantam Warriors are back in action on Friday, Jan. 17 when they take on the Regina Aces (7:30 p.m., Kinsmen) while the Midget Warriors return to the ice on Wednesday, Jan. 8 in Notre Dame against the Hounds.