MOOSE JAW -- The Moose Jaw Mustangs were able to throw a bit of a scare into the Prince Albert Predators to open their Prairie Gold Lacrosse League Junior championship final series, but as they have all season, the Predators had an answer.
Prince Albert scored four goals in the first five minutes of the third period to blow open a close game and would go on to a 13-7 victory in Game 1 of the best-of-three series on Saturday night at the Kinsmen Arena in Moose Jaw.
As a result, the Predators can clinch the league title in Game 2 on Saturday, July 26 in Prince Albert.
The contest turned into a battle through the first two periods, as the Predators took a 3-2 lead out of the opening frame before Moose Jaw tied things up early in the second.
Goals from Matthew Cudmore and Talon Sandry would put Prince Albert ahead 5-3 with six minutes gone in the second, but the Mustangs roared right back with goals from Ryder Gilroy and Nate Lewko to tie things up with 3:21 to play in the frame.
Sandry and Cudmore would strike again in the final three minutes of the second, though, and Sandry would add two more goals early in the third to help the Predators pull away. Logan Rieger and Brayden Rieger also scored in the first 4:23 of the period as Prince Albert built an 11-5 lead Moose Jaw would be unable to recover from.
Sandry capped his night with four goals and five points, while Brayden Rieger had two goals and five points while Cudmore added a hat trick. Braden Sewchuk added a pair of goals for the Predators, Ryley Prediger had their other marker and contributed two assists.
Kysen Mac Angus picked up a goal and two assists for the Mustangs, Gilroy scored twice and Chase McKee also had two goals. Carter Hudyma added their other marker.
Game 2 of the series takes place on Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Kinsmen Arena in Prince Albert, with a Moose Jaw win there seeing the teams playing a mini-game immediately after to decide the PGLL Junior champion.
