The Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors have clawed their way back to within a game of .500 in the Sask Male AAA Hockey League standings, thanks to picking up three of a possible four points in a pair of late-week games against the Tisdale Trojans.
The Warriors dropped a 7-6 overtime decision in Tisdale on Thursday before rebounding with a 6-3 victory in the rematch Friday.
As a result, Moose Jaw now holds a 5-6-0-3 record and has moved into a tie with the Prince Albert Mintos for sixth place, two points back of Notre Dame and two up on Warman.
Through two periods of Thursday’s outing, it looked as if the Warriors wouldn’t have to worry about playing extra time, as Tisdale had built a 5-3 lead through 40 minutes.
Three goals in just over three minutes early in the third changed all that, though, and all of a sudden Moose Jaw was playing with the lead. Austin Woodley started the comeback at 4:01 before Rhett Perrin tied thrings up 1:27 later and Wyatt LaCoste gave the Warriors a 4-3 lead with a shorthanded marker 50 seconds after Perrin’s goal.
The edge wouldn’t last long, though, as on the same power play Ryder Mucha tied things up for the Trojans, 1:10 after Moose Jaw took their lead.
That sent the game to the three-on-three OT period, where Parker Dunn scored the game-winner for the Trojans with a minute remaining.
Grady Hoffman and Jake Briltz scored in the first period, while Pryce Thiessen, Carter Ralston and Matthew Van Blaricom gave Tisdale a 3-2 edge in the opening frame.
Briltz scored his second of the game on the power play early in the second period; Dayton Reschny and Simon Martin replied for the Trojans to give them their 5-3 lead.
Ryan Bain stopped 34 shots in taking the loss, Lane Beal had 46 saves in the Trojans goal.
The shoe was on the other foot 24 hours later, as the Warriors roared out to a 4-1 lead in the first period and never looked back.
Britlz, Perrin, Connor Miller and Liam Fitzpatrick all had goals in the opening 20 minutes for Moose Jaw before Britlz extended the lead to 5-1 through two with the lone second-period goal. Reschny and Hoffman exchanged markers in the final frame.
Thiessen and Kale Margolis had Tisdale’s other goals.
Ryan Hicks was the winning netminder with 29 saves, Beal had 27 stops for Tisdale.
The Winmar Warriors continue their run of road games on Thursday, Nov. 17 in Wilcox against Notre Dame. Next home action is Thursday, Nov. 24 when they host the Estevan Bears.
