The Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors didn’t have a lot of offensive luck in Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League action against the Notre Dame Hounds on Thursday night.
Despite putting nearly 40 shots on net, the Warriors could manage only one goal and would drop a 2-1 decision at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
The loss knocks the Warriors’ record to 13-11-1-0 and sees the local crew fall to seventh place, three points back of the fourth-place Saskatoon Blazers.
Despite how things turned out, Moose Jaw had their openings in the first period, with Hounds goaltender Mariko Bercier stopping both Jake Briltz and Bryce Boughen on breakaways and making a handful of other big saves to keep the Warriors off the board.
Luke McKechnie was equally as sharp at the other end of the ice, but a power play shot through a screen by Alexis Lavigne with 19 seconds left in the first would give Notre Dame a 1-0 lead.
After taking two double minors in the opening 20 minutes, the Warriors cleaned things up a bit in the second and were rewarded with a power play goal of their own. Team captain Dylan Duzan tied the game with 6:05 remaining, scoring his team-leading 14th goal.
Duzan’s 29 points in 25 games is also good enough for eighth in league scoring.
That would be the last good news on the night for the Warriors, though, as Aleksandr Skuratov scored with 4:19 gone in the third and Moose Jaw was unable to take advantage of two power plays as the period progressed, taking the one-goal loss.
Bercier capped his night with 38 saves to earn the win, while McKechnie turned aside 22 shots for the Warriors.
Notre Dame improved to 7-14-3-0 to sit 11th in the 12-team league.
The WINMAR Warriors look to get back on the winning track on Saturday, Dec. 16 when the Saskatoon Contacts are at the Moose Jaw Events Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.
