By COLBY STOESZ
The U18 AAA Warman Wildcats hosted the Swift Current Legionnaires for a pair of games over the weekend, splitting the back-to-back contests 1-1.
Friday’s match started in the right direction for the Wildcats. Despite giving up a goal less than three minutes in, Warman responded with two goals of their own in the first period to make it a 2-1 game. Hudson Brehaut scored his fifth goal of the season, with Easton Woytiuk grabbing the assist.
Trey Markus scored the second goal of the period for the Wildcats, his sixth of the year.
The second period provided no change on the scoreboard. The visiting Legionnaires outshot the Wildcats 12-7, but neither team could find the back of the net over the 20-minute frame. Entering the third period, the score remained 2-1.
Despite outshooting Swift Current in the final period, Warman couldn’t find their groove as the Legionnaires netted two more and took the first game of the weekend 3-2.
Saturday’s game began slow, and the first period remained scoreless despite 23 total shots from both sides.
Warman broke the deadlock halfway through the second period, as Kaleb Dewar scored short-handed with help from Cameron Jacobson.
Swift Current netted a power-play goal four minutes later, tying the game at 1-1.
Jacobson scored his own goal in the waning minutes, assisted by Nash Curniski and Sam Failler, to make it a 2-1 game for the Wildcats entering the second intermission.
The Legionnaires struck first in the third, scoring seven minutes into the frame. Broden Wotherspoon responded minutes later, scoring his first of the season with help from Dawson Baht and Woytiuk.
Warman’s Declan Borthwick also scored his first of the season, with James Norman claiming the assist.
Swift Current’s Carter Moen scored on the powerplay with five minutes to play, but it was too little too late for the visitors as Warman clinched the 4-3 victory.
The split weekend brings the Wildcat’s record to 7-7 on the season, placing them firmly in the middle of the standings and 13 points back of first place.
Warman will now set off on a four-game road trip, travelling to Tisdale, Saskatoon, and Notre Dame over the next two weeks.
Their next home game is scheduled for December 7, when they’ll host the currently league-worst Yorkton Kinsmen Maulers.