Just one night after a tough 4-0 loss to the Moose Jaw Warriors, the Swift Current Broncos earned a big 5-3 win over the Medicine Hat Tigers on Wendesday night at the InnovationPlex.
Broncos Interim Head Coach Taras McEwen said it was a big difference from Tuesday.
“Just our focus and our preparing for the game,” McEwen said. “I just thought we were a little loose yesterday going into the game and it just translated and we couldn’t find any energy, especially early on. Real happy with the response and we were definitely ready for this game and it was close, back and forth, they had some momentum in the second period but we kind of weathered their momentum.”
Connor Hvidston opened the scoring just a few minutes in followed by goals by Ryan McCleary and Brady Birnie to make it 3-0 just about 13 minutes into the game. Cayden Lindstrom got the Tigers on the board late in the first, and his second of the night made it 3-2 halfway through the second.
In the third, Tyson Laventure got the Broncos back to a two-goal lead with his tenth of the year. While Rhett Parsons made it 4-3 late in the third, the Broncos held on and Hvidston added an empty net goal to make it 5-3, earning the win.
It was the Broncos first win in the second half of a back-to-back set of games this season.
Matthew Kieper also earned his first win as a Bronco, stopping 28 of 31. McEwen said it was a solid performance for his netminder.
“We’ve been real happy with his practices this past week, he’s looked confident, real comfortable,” McEwen said. “our goalie coaches have had nothing but good things to say about him and we were excited to get him in the net and did a good job tonight.”
The Broncos are now 13-11-1-0 on the year and will be back in action on Friday against the Prince Albert Raiders.