MOOSE JAW -- With how close things were between the two teams during the regular season, it should come as no surprise that the opening game of the Sask Male U18 AAA Hockey League playoffs between the Moose Jaw WINMAR Warriors and Estevan Great North Bears was also a tight battle.
After the two teams came out of the first period tied 2-2, the Warriors would score the lone goal in the remainder of the game in the second period and go on to a 3-2 victory at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
As a result, the Warriors have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-five series, with Game 2 set for Tuesday in Estevan.
Moose Jaw took no time at all to get on the board in the contest, as Gage Nagel opened scoring only 1:25 into the proceedings.
Estevan’s Brendan Jones would get that back with a power play goal with 9:05 to play in the period, but Nagel would strike again 2:55 later to make it a 2-1 Moose Jaw lead.
That edge didn’t even last a minute, as 51 seconds later Jase McNichol scored for Estevan to tie things up heading into the second period.
There, Keirin Osberg scored on the power play with 6:40 gone in the frame, and that would close out scoring and stand as the game-winning goal.
Luke McKechnie had 26 saves to earn the win in goal for the Warriors, while Brady Carr stopped 35 shots for Estevan.
The contest was a relatively clean affair, with Estevan scoring on their lone power play and Moose Jaw going 1-for-4 on the man advantage.
Nagel finished with three points and was named Moose Jaw’s game star, while Carr took the same honour for Estevan.
The teams are back on the ice at Affinity Place in Estevan on Tuesday, with puck drop at 7:30 p.m. Game 3 is back in Moose Jaw on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Moose Jaw Events Centre, followed by Game 4 in Estevan on Saturday and Game 5 in Moose Jaw on Monday. The latter two contests will be played if necessary.
Be sure to keep an eye on for up-to-date scores from throughout the playoffs.
