Former Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Brandon Schuldhaus scored a pair of goals to lead the Saskatoon Blades to a 4-2 victory in Western Hockey League action at Mosaic Place on Tuesday night.
Dawson Davidson and Kirby Dach also scored for Saskatoon, who found themselves tied 1-1 after the first and leading 3-2 through two.
The Warriors fell to 35-19-6-2 on the season with the loss and sit three points away from clinching a playoff spot – they lead the Brandon Wheat Kings by 10 points with six games to go. Saskatoon has clinched second place in the East Division with a 42-14-8-0 record.
Tristin Langan got things off on the right foot for the Tribe with his 48th goal of the season only 56 seconds into the game. That goal would stand as the Warriors’ lone marker until Justin Almeida capped off a brilliant shorthanded effort 9:05 into the second.
The goal was Almeida’s 27th of the season, but more importantly moved him to 95 points – leaving Almeida needing five points in the Warriors last six games to break the century mark for the first time in his WHL career. He finished with 43 goals and 98 points last season.
Brodan Salmond made 26 saves in goal for Moose Jaw, Nolan Maier stopped 26 for Saskatoon.
The Blades were 1-for-3 on the power play, the Tribe went 0-for-5.
Next action for the Warriors is the first game of a home-and-home series in Regina on Friday. Moose Jaw hosts the Pats Saturday (7 p.m.) before traveling to Saskatoon for a rematch with the Blades Sunday.
