You’ll have to forgive the Moose Jaw Mustangs if they think they’re all of a sudden back in the early 2000s given how things went on opening weekend in the South Saskatchewan Lacrosse League.
Back then, winning was all the Mustangs did. And this past weekend, that was essentially the same situation, with three Moose Jaw Lacrosse Association teams going unbeaten through their first games of the regular season.
The Under-11 Mustangs 1 put together an 11-7 win over Swift Current to go along with a 9-9 tie with Queen City, while the U13 crew put together a 6-5 win over Swift Current and 6-5 victory over Standing Buffalo. The U15 Mustangs then had the biggest win of the weekend, rolling to a 13-1 victory over Queen City.
U11 Mustangs 1 11, Swift Current 7
Things were close through the first and second periods, as Moose Jaw took a 5-4 lead into the final frame.
Swift Current tied the game early in the period, but the Mustangs scored three straight goals over the next eight minutes to take control of the contest.
Kipton Tremblay led Moose Jaw with six goals, while Noel Nelson picked up a pair to go along with single markers Noel Nelson, Tyler Thue and Jase Myketiak. Hunter Moroschan had 13 saves for the win.
U11 Mustangs 9, Queen City 9
Moose Jaw took a 6-4 lead into the final period thanks to five unanswered goals in the second, but Queen City scored four straight of their own in the final frame to hold a 9-7 edge heading into the last two minutes of the game.
There, Tremblay would come up huge for his team, pulling the Mustangs within on with 1:58 to play and then tying the game with 22 seconds remaining. All told, he’d cap the game with four goals.
Kayden Howes also put up four for the Mustangs, with Nelson scoring their other marker.
U13 Mustangs 6 Swift Current 5
Connor Hart-Livingston and Cruz Seaborg scored third period goals as the Mustangs snapped a 4-4 tie through two and would go on to the one-goal win.
Seaborg capped the game with four goals and five points, with Ethan Thedroff scoring their other marker. Rylan Deitrich had a pair of assists.
U13 Mustangs 6, Standing Buffalo 5
Trailing 4-2 heading into the third period, the Mustangs scored three unanswered in the final 4:19 to secure the narrow victory.
Seaborg picked up a hat trick for Moose Jaw, who found themselves tied 1-1 after the first.
Hart-Livingston picked up a pair for the Mustangs, while Ryder Seiferling added a goal and an assist.
U15 Mustangs 13 QCMBL 1
With the amount of offensive talent the U15 Mustangs can boast, their season-opening result was anything but a surprise.
Things were relatively close early, as Moose Jaw took a 3-1 lead out of the first period, but seven unanswered goals in the second made the result all but academic coming home.
Chase Folk had a solid game, putting up four goals and six points. Hayden Nidesh played set-up man with four assists and five points, while Avery Nielsen and Luke Turner had two goals and four points each.
Kashton Smith added a goal and three points, with Caiden Arnott tacking on a pair and Bentley Messner scoring their other marker. Kysen Mac Angus added two assists.
For schedules and scores throughout the season, be sure to visit www.southsasklacrosseleague.ca.
