The Warman Wildcats are still looking for their first win of the season after recently dropping back-to-back games to the Tisdale Trojans.
Warman fell 5-2 on November 13 at home, at the Legends Centre, and the following night, the Wildcats dropped a 2-1 decision in Tisdale.
In the first game of that home-and-home series, Tisdale took an early lead in the opening period, but the Wildcats responded with two consecutive goals of their own to go up 2-1.
Tylin Hilbig netted both of the Warman goals, and Wildcats head coach Ryan McDonald was happy to see the team respond like that after falling behind early.
“I thought the boys clawed back really hard in the first period,” he said.
Despite the Wildcats having a one goal lead entering the middle frame, the Trojans started to gain momentum in the period which led to a couple goals, as one came shorthanded.
McDonald thought the Wildcats started to steer away from their game plan, which gave them success in the first period.
“We had a game plan and I thought in the first period we executed our game plan,” McDonald said. “We come out for the second (period) and we totally got away from the game plan.”
The Wildcats only trailed by one goal entering the final period and the message to the team was to chip away and maybe the outlook of the game could shift in Warman’s favour.
“You’ve got to take it shift by shift, 5-minute increments and just get back to simple hockey,” McDonald said. Simplify things, chip the puck out of your own end and get the puck to the net. I find when we complicate things, it gets us in to a bit of trouble. And when we started reaching with our sticks and we weren’t moving our feet, all of a sudden we’re sitting in the penalty box.”
Tisdale found the back of the net two more times in the third period, as the Wildcats couldn’t string a comeback.
Even though Warman started the game matching the intensity of the Trojans, the Wildcats didn’t match that effort level in the final two frames.
“I thought we played a heck of a first 20 minutes and then our back 40 (minutes) we got away from our game plan and it wasn’t how we wanted to play,” McDonald said. “You got to make sure that your second and third will match the first. For us, we played a solid 20 minutes but unfortunately 20 minutes doesn’t win you a hockey game.”
In the second game, Tisdale netted the first goal in the opening period, however, Warman responded on the power-play after Rylan Pearce lit the lamp.
Both teams failed to score in the middle frame, and in the final period, the Trojans recorded a power-play goal which was the game winner.
According to McDonald, the key on getting that first win of the season is the players need to keep believing in themselves because they all have the skills to be successful in the league.
Warman’s next game is a road contest against the Prince Albert Mintos on November 20. The Wildcats are scheduled to battle the Mintos again the following day at the Legends Centre.