By COLBY STOESZ
The Warman U18AAA Wildcats stood their ground against the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors last weekend, splitting Saturday and Sunday’s matches with the league leaders.
Warman began the weekend on their back foot, falling behind 0-2 shortly into Saturday’s opening frame. Declan Borthwick answered with his fourth goal of the season, but the visiting Warriors scored soon after to claim a two-goal lead into the intermission.
Warman’s Nash Curniski scored the lone goal of the second period, closing the deficit to one point for the Wildcats after 40 minutes of play.
Saturday’s third period saw both teams net a goal apiece. Dylan Danyluk scored with less than three minutes to go, but it was too little too late as Moose Jaw claimed game one 4-3.
Sunday’s game started with all the shades of the night prior, as Moose Jaw found the back of the net just one minute into the contest. Broden Wotherspoon righted the ship and tied the game for Warman as the first period ended 1-1.
The Wildcats finally broke the code in the second period, scoring three unanswered goals on only nine shots. Warman’s points-leader Hudson Brehaut grabbed his 10th goal of the campaign, while Dade Wotherspoon and Trey Markus netted their 13th goals to give the Wildcats a 4-1 lead with one period to play.
Moose Jaw drew first blood in the final frame of the weekend, yet their efforts were fruitless. The Warriors’ ninth-minute power-play goal was quickly negated by Dade Wotherspoon, who tied Kaleb Dewar as Warman’s leader in goals for the season. Ty Dauvin scored unassisted with only seconds remaining for good measure, and the Wildcats took Sunday’s game 6-2.
Trey Markus led the Wildcats in points for the weekend, scoring one goal and assisting on two more. Declan Borthwick, Dade Wotherspoon, and James Norman each claimed two points of their own.
Corben Schnurr earned the victory in net on Sunday, stopping 17 of 19 shots on goal. Seth Gutenberg was between the pipes for Warman’s loss on Saturday.
Warman will host the Saskatoon Blazers on Wednesday, January 15 before heading to Swift Current for a weekend series against the Legionnaires.