The Swift Current Broncos scored four goals in the first 10:03 of the contest and held off a spirited Warriors comeback to take an 8-5 victory at Brandt Centre in Regina on Friday afternoon.
Josh Davies scored a pair of goals before Mathew Ward and Carter Chorney added single markers to put the Broncos ahead 4-0 – with Ward and Chorney’s goals coming less than a minute apart midway through the frame.
Cameron Sterling would get one back for the Warriors 1:07 after Swift Current’s fourth marker, and after Eric Houk made it 5-1 Broncos, Eric Alarie and Bryden Kiesman scored in the opening period’s final 4:02 to get the Tribe back within a pair.
The Warriors would be unable to keep the momentum going, though – Jake Kustra and Ethan O’Rourke picked up second-period markers to put Swift Current ahead 7-1 before Davies finished of his hat trick 7:21 into the third.
Carson Denomie would get one back on the power play with 4:10 remaining and Cade Hayes would close out scoring with 23 seconds remaining in the contest.
Alarie – the Warriors’ first round pick in the 2018 WHL Bantam Draft – added a pair of assists to finish with three points, while Sterling and Denomie each had a goal and a helper. Rookie defenceman Cole Jordan picked up two assists.
Kustra finished with a goal and three assists to lead the Broncos.
Kyle Kelsey went the distance in goal for the Tribe, turning aside 20 shots, while the Warriors fired 25 at the Broncos’ Reid Dyck.
The Warriors are back in action Saturday when they take on the Saskatoon Blades, with game time 3 p.m. in Regina. Next home action for the Tribe is Sept. 7 when they take on the Prince Albert Raiders. Game time is 7 p.m. at Mosaic Place.
