Moose Jaw, Sask. – The Moose Jaw Warriors put a bow on their 2024 WHL Championship season on Saturday night at the Hangar.
For the first time in franchise history, the Warriors raised a championship banner to the rafters ahead of their 2024 Home Opener with a big crowd on hand to see the historic moment.
When it came to the battle on the ice, Moose Jaw couldn’t finish the job, falling 6-4 to the Prince Albert Raiders to open the season with back-to-back losses this weekend.
“There were points where we looked like a really good team and at times we didn’t, so we’ve just got to work on putting a full 60 together,” Warriors defenceman Aiden Ziprick said after the loss.
Ziprick scored the game-tying goal late in the third period and finished with two points in the loss, while Lynden Lakovic had three assists.
The Warriors and Raiders headed into the third period tied at 3-3 and were even at 4-4 late in the frame, but Prince Albert scored twice late to pull away for the win.
Warriors associate coach Scott King said the team put together a better game than their season-opening loss in Brandon on Friday.
“I thought it looked better right from the start, we looked more engaged, we looked more determined, so that was a good sign,” he said
“There was points in the game where I thought we were playing real well, unfortunately they get a couple of looks that go in and that’s the way it goes tonight.”
Ty Meunier opened the scoring for Prince Albert 6:24 into the game.
Owen Berge answered back for the Warriors later in the frame, but Harrison Lodewyk would put the Raiders back in front only 1:28 later to make it 2-1 after one.
Only 1:25 into the second period, Ethan Bibeau scored for Prince Albert to make it a two-goal advantage.
The Warriors would battle back midway through the frame with Pavel McKenzie scoring on the power play.
Another power play goal for the Warriors less than four minutes later off the stick of Brayden Schuurman tied the game up at 3-3 after two.
Prince Albert retook the lead midway through the third when Oli Chenier buried a power play goal to make it 4-3.
Less than three minutes later, Ziprick wired home his first of the season on the power play to tie the game back up.
Chenier would lift the Raiders back in front with his second of the night with 2:57 to go in the third and that would be enough.
Doogan Pederson added one into the empty net to seal the win for the Raiders.
Prince Albert outshot Moose Jaw, 41-30, on the night. The Warriors went 3-for-5 on the power play and 1-for-4 on the penalty kill in the loss.
Moose Jaw returns to game action coming up on Friday night when they host the Regina Pats for the first Trans-Canada Clash of the season.