By TERRY PUGH
The Warman U18AAA Wildcats snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday, November 15 with a 6-1 win over the host Moose Jaw Warriors at the Temple Gardens Centre in Moose Jaw.
But, the Warriors returned the favour with a 6-2 spanking of the Wildcats in the return match – also in Moose Jaw – on Sunday, November 16.
The Wildcats came into the weekend match-ups still smarting from a 5-4 overtime heartbreaker and a 9-0 defeat at the hands of the Swift Current Legionnaires November 8 and 9, as well as a 5-1 loss to the Battleford Stars on November 12.
The Warriors, meanwhile, had gotten used to winning, having lost only one game, in overtime, so far this season.
Moose Jaw got on the scoreboard early in the Saturday game when Ryder Gilroy scored a little over a minute into the opening period. His assists on that goal came from Maclain Ethier, who hails from Warman, and Chase Peterson. The Warriors took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.
What Wildcats coach Courage Bear told his players in the dressing room during that break will forever remain a mystery. But whatever his message was, it worked.
The Wildcats came out flying in the second period, scoring four straight unanswered goals, and adding another two markers in the third period. Goal scorers for Warman were Logan Olsen, Tyson Janzen, Koston Baliski, Dade Wotherspoon, Declan Borthwick and Cruz Bear. Borthwick and Wotherspoon also picked up assists, as did Cruz Harrison, Easton Bauer (2), Wesley Black, and Nixxon Arcand-Vandale.
Warman goaltender Seth Gutenberg was solid between the pipes, stopping 38 of 39 shots.
Moose Jaw goalie Kaleb Page, meanwhile, had a rough outing, stopping 23 of 27 shots that came his way.
The Wildcats’ momentum from Saturday’s convincing win, however, didn’t carry over into Sunday’s game.
The Warriors rebounded from their first regulation time loss of the season with a dominant performance, thanks to a hat trick by Ryder Gilroy (who also added two assists for a five-point outing), and singles from Maxx Fuessel, Tobin Schaefer and Ryan Gibbs. Gibbs also had two assissts in the game, while Chase Peterson, Marek McIvor, Hudson Sayers, Tobin Schaefer and Wade Franks also contributed helpers.
Warman goal-scorers were Cruz Bear (Cash Arcand-Vandale, Dawson Gamble), Sam Failler (Dade Wotherspoon, and Cash Arcand-Vandale).
Gutenberg was once again outstanding in the Warman net, stopping 40 of 45 shots, while Moose Jaw’s Steven Wawryk came through when he had to, turning aside 20 of 22 shots that came his way.
The weekend split gave the Wildcats another two points to keep them in fifth place in the Saskatchewan Male Under 18AAA Hockey League (SMU18AAAHL) with a record of 9-7-1-0 for 19 points, two behind the fourth-place Battleford Stars and one point ahead of the Estevan Bears and Prince Albert Mintos.
The Regina Pat Canadians are in first place with 33 points, Moose Jaw is second with 29, and Swift Current is third with 28.
The Wildcats next action is on Saturday, November 22 when they host the Prince Albert Mintos at the Warman Home Centre Communiplex. Game time is 7:30 p.m.