No, if you’re going to hold down top spot in a competitive league – like the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League – you’re going to have to win the close ones as well as the lopsided ones.
The Moose Jaw AAA Warriors were able to do just that on Sunday afternoon against the Yorkton Maulers, as they overcame a 1-0 first-period deficit to score three straight in the second and eventually go on to a 3-2 victory.
As a result, the Warriors improved to 27-8-1-0, holding a six-point lead over the Saskatoon Contact and Regina Pat Canadians in first place in the 12-team loop.
That record is a far cry from what the Maulers came into Mosaic Place with this weekend – winners of only three games this season, they sit a single point ahead of the last-place Notre Dame Argos.
“They played us hard in Yorkton, too and I’m kind of shocked they only have three wins for how hard they play,” said Warriors head coach Trevor Weisgerber. “They have some skilled guys and they work and their goaltender played well. That’s the way it goes in those games sometimes. We ran into a hot goalie and we were just fortunate we got a few goals on him.”
Massen Ziola gave Yorkton a 1-0 lead out of the opening frame before the Warriors got on track in the second – Atley Calvert, Kirk Mullen and Evan Callaghan would all score while the Tribe outshot the Maulers 26-4 in the period.
The Warriors’ Sam Boldt battles through a check in the Yorkton zone.Ziola would score the only goal of the third period with 3:36 remaining to play.
Kael DePape would end up with 56 saves as he kept Yorkton in the game throughout.
“It’s one of those days, there are other games where you get 20, 25 shots and score five or six,” Weisgerber said. “He played well and we had lots of Grade As and a few posts, it’s just one of those games where you just keep battling and get a lead and keep that lead.”
When your team has won six games in a row and haven’t lost since the Christmas break, it’s hard to find a lot wrong with how things are going. If there is a concern, it’s complacency, especially with a comfortable lead at the top of the league.
“That’s the biggest thing now, we need to make sure we’re doing a good job and talking about habits and playing the game properly and things like that,” Weisgerber said. “It’s something that we definitely need to keep working on.”
Chase Coward had another solid game in goal, turning aside 21 shots in the loss.
The Warriors are now off until Thursday, Jan. 23 when they take on the Notre Dame Argos. Game time is 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.
