By COLBY STOESZ
The U18AAA Warman Wildcats started the new year with a bang on Sunday, January 5, winning their first game of 2025 6-3 at home against the Saskatoon Contacts.
Less than a minute after the puck dropped, Warman grabbed the lead off of a Dade Weatherspoon goal, his 11th of the season. Dylan Danyluk picked up the assist on the early score.
The Contacts took nearly 15 minutes to respond with two goals of their own, and with less than two minutes to play the home team found themselves down a score. Wotherspoon nabbed his second goal of the period, this one unassisted, to tie the game up heading into the intermission.
The fireworks subsided in the second period, and Saskatoon scored the lone goal of the frame. Both teams were handed two man-advantages over the period, however, neither could capitalize. After 40 minutes of play, the Wildcats trailed the Contacts 2-3.
The Wildcats could not have asked for a better third period, scoring four unanswered goals as they left the Contacts in their wake. Cameron Jacobson evened the score 3-3 with an unassisted goal 45 seconds into the period. Nash Curinsiki followed suit with his own unassisted goal.
Warman finally capitalized on the power play with five minutes to play. Trey Markus scored his twelfth goal of the season, helped by Calder Hamilton and Hudson Brehaut. Ty Dauvin scored for added insurance three minutes later, and the Wildcats beat the Contacts 6-3.
Corben Schnurr earned the win for the Wildcats in the crease. The goalie picked up his tenth win of the season, stopping 27 of 30 shots.
The Wildcats are back in action next weekend when they’ll host the first-place Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors in a back-to-back at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex. Warman now sits sixth in the league standings after Sunday’s win as they improve their position in the playoff race.