CALGARY -- The Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors made it a perfect day for Saskatchewan teams at the Circle K Classic U18 AAA tournament on Friday afternoon.
Hours after the Regina Pat Canadians took a 6-4 win over the Calgary Royals in their tournament opener, the Warriors scored three in the third on their way to 4-1 victory over Okanagan Hockey Academy Penticton at the event in Calgary.
The Warriors are in first place in the Sask Male AAA Hockey League with a 20-4-2 record, while OHA Penticton sits fourth in the Canadian Sport School Hockey League U18 Prep division with a 16-5-1-2 mark.
As well as things turned out for Moose Jaw, the game was exceptionally close through two periods.
Keirin Osberg got things off to a great start with the Warriors’ first goal of the tournament only 1:24 into the contest, but that’s where things would stay until the third period.
The two teams were as even as could be up to the final frame, with each recording 16 shots on net.
Brennan Brown would extend Moose Jaw’s lead 7:20 into the third period, but only 21 seconds later, Bradley Schmidt once again made it a one-goal game with Penticton’s first goal of the event.
That would be as close as OHA would get, though, as Keaton Lesperance made it a 3-1 game at the 9:14 mark and Gage Nagel extended the lead to three with 8:21 to play.
That’s where things finished up, and Moose Jaw had their tournament-opening win.
Luke McKechnie turned aside 22 shots to earn the victory in goal, Chayse Johnson had 25 saves for OHA.
Lesperance finished with two points on the afternoon, Carson Park had a pair of assists.
The WINMAR Warriors are back in action on Saturday at 11 a.m. when they face the New York-based Bishop Kearney Selects. They then close out their round robin on Sunday evening when they take on the Calgary Northstars, with puck drop at 7:15 p.m.
Be sure to keep an eye on for updates throughout the event.
