The Moose Jaw U13 AA Warriors might not have been able to come away with the win in Sask AA Hockey League action on Saturday night, but it was a positive showing just the same.
When Warriors leading scorer Drayson Silbernagel scored Moose Jaw’s first goal with 44 seconds left in the second period, close to a hundred ‘warmth bundles’ flew onto the ice much like one would see in the WHL Warriors’ annual Teddy Bear Toss Game.
The bundles -- which were filled with toques, mittens, scarves and socks -- were gathered in partnership with the John Howard Society and Moose Jaw schools and will be donated to My Place to help out those in need during the cold days ahead.
The team also collected $200 as part of their charitable effort..
Moose Jaw’s opponent on the night, the Swift Current Broncos, also got in on the action, bringing donations of their own to contribute to the cause.
Alas, it wasn’t a perfect night for the Warriors, as they’d drop a 6-1 decision.
Taye Silbernagel did almost all the damage for Swift Current, as he’d score two goals in the first and another pair in the second to finish with four on the night. Damon James and Jett Wallace also scored for the Broncos, who led 3-0 after the first and 5-1 through two.
The Warriors had no shortage of chances to create a different outcome, as they fired 46 shots at Broncos goaltender Hudson Rijvers, including 20 in the first period alone.
Trip Kuntz made 24 saves for Moose Jaw in taking the loss.
The Warriors go into the Christmas break with 7-6-0-0 record, good enough for sixth place in the SAAHL South Division, two points back of the Balgonie Prairie Storm for fifth and three back of the Regina Mustangs for third.
Drayson Silbernagel continues to have a solid campaign for Moose Jaw and currently sits in 20th in league scoring with 18 goals and 30 points in 12 games. His top showing so far this season was a two-game set in mid-November, where he put up five goals and seven points in a 10-3 win over the Mustangs and followed up with four goals and five points a week later in a 7-5 win over the Regina Royals -- giving Silbernagel nine goals and 12 points in two games.
Owen Tribier and Jackson Boyle are also scoring nearly two points a game, with Tribier at 11 goals and 23 points and Boyle just behind at eight goals and 21 points.
Goaltender Eli Tkachuk holds a 5.57 goals against average and .851 save percentage with a 5-2 record, while Kuntz is 2-4 with a 5.17 GAA and .838 SP.
The Moose Jaw AA Warriors are back in action on Thursday, Dec. 22 when they host the Mustangs. Game time is 7:15 p.m. at the Bert Hunt.
