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Warriors fall in Brandon to finish off Western Hockey League pre-season

Wheat Kings take 4-0 victory as Moose Jaw caps exhibition campaign with 1-3 record
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The Moose Jaw Warriors might not have had the greatest of luck through the Western Hockey League pre-season, but if there’s any team in the league that can look to brighter days ahead, they’re most definitely it.

The Warriors dropped a 4-0 decision to the Brandon Wheat Kings in Brandon on Saturday night, capping their WHL exhibition schedule with a 1-3 record. 

But that all comes with a huge caveat, as Moose Jaw dressed a total of nine rookies -- including all but two of their defencemen -- as the vast majority of their experienced veterans are currently skating in National Hockey League rookie tournaments.

That includes Max Wanner (Edmonton), Cole Jordan (Calgary), Martin Rysavy (Columbus), Denton Mateychuk (Columbus), Jagger Firkus (Seattle), Atley Calvert (Buffalo) and Eric Alarie (Los Angeles).

The team was also without Robert Baco, who served the third game of a five-game suspension for a checking-from-behind major in the pre-season opener against Swift Current.

Brandon’s Nolan Ritchie opened scoring 2:12 into the contest and the Wheat Kings took a 1-0 lead into the second period.

There, Roger McQueen and Eastyn Mannix extended Brandon’s edge to 3-0 before Ritchie scored 23 seconds into the third to wrap up the offence in the game.

Calder Anderson -- who played three seasons in Moose Jaw before being traded to his hometown team in the off-season -- had two assists. Nate Danielson had a pair of assists for the Wheat Kings after scoring twice in Moose Jaw’s 4-3 win 24 hours earlier.

Jackson Unger got the start in goal for the Warriors and turned aside 39 shots, while Carson Bjarnason had 14 saves in 29:02 of work and Nicholas Jones 12 saves in 30:58 of playing time.

Now, the Warriors turn their eyes to just under a week from now as the WHL season kicks off in earnest. Moose Jaw opens their 2022-23 campaign on Friday night against their arch-rival Regina Pats before hosting Regina in their home opener on Saturday. Game time is 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

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