For three periods, the Regina Pat Canadians had accomplished something no team had been able to pull off since mid-December -- keep Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors forward Liam Fitzpatrick off the scoresheet.
But as is the case with any player on the kind of roll he is, all it takes is an extra chance for things to change dramatically and for the Moose Jaw Minor Hockey product, that opportunity came in came in overtime.
Fitzpatrick would score his league-leading 30th goal 1:32 into the extra frame and the Warriors would come away with a thrilling 4-3 victory Thursday night at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
The win saw the Warriors extend their winning streak to four games and improve their record to 19-16-0-4, two points back of Notre Dame for sixth place in the 12-team league and three points up on eighth-place Prince Albert. The victory also gives Moose Jaw wins in eight of their last nine games, with seven of those by two goals or less and three coming in overtime.
The fact the contest got to overtime at all was a product of the kind of desire to win the Warriors have shown throughout their run of success. After Matthew Ronn gave Regina the lead 21 seconds into the third period, the two teams battled back and forth the rest of the frame before Austin Woodley was finally able to break through for Moose Jaw, scoring the tying goal with 1:04 remaining and goaltender Ryan Bain pulled for the extra attacker.
The contest was tight-checking in the early going, with neither team creating a lot of zone time in the first period. Dylan Duzan was able to break through late in the first period, though, going in on a partial breakaway and beating Regina’s Taylor Tabashniuk with a slick backhand with 5:13 to play.
Noah Amundson got that one back for the Pat Canadians 3:34 into the second period, Jake Britlz restored Moose Jaw’s lead three minutes later and Steven Steranka sent the two teams into the third tied 2-2 with a goal at 10:07.
Bain turned aside 29 shots to claim the win, while Tabashniuk had 22 saves at the other end of the ice.
Fitzpatrick now has points in 15 straight games going back to Dec. 16 and remains second in SMAAAHL scoring with 30 goals and 60 points, one back of Raiden Zacharias of the Saskatoon Blazers. Grady Hoffman is sixth in league scoring with 17 goals and 49 points, while Connor Miller is eighth with 20 goals and 48 points.
The Winmar Warriors are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Wilcox to face the Notre Dame Hounds. Next home action is Wednesday, Feb, 15 when they host the Hounds, with puck drop at 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
