Moose Jaw, SK – The Warriors scored two goals in each period as they ended their 12-game slide with an impressive 6-2 win over the Saskatoon Blades Saturday at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Nine minutes into the game, Aiden Ziprick took a shot from the Saskatoon left point. His shot was high and going wide, but, 20-year-old import forward Krzysztof Macias was able to redirect the puck past goalie Ethan McCallum to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead.
Just under three minutes later, Captain Lynden Lakovic rushed across the Saskatoon left line. The third-year forward was able to dangle around the Blades’ defencemen and then snap a shot past the glove of McCallum, his 21st of the year made it 2-0.
Saskatoon was able to respond with less than four minutes remaining in the period when Hunter Laing was able to convert on a wrap-around.
93 seconds into the second period, Nolan Paquette intercepted a Saskatoon pass in the Moose Jaw zone. The rookie defenceman looked up the ice and sprung Macias for a breakaway where he scored his second of the game to put the Warriors up 3-1.
At the six-minute mark, the Blades had control in the Moose Jaw zone and eventually set up Jordan Martin at the right circle where he pulled Saskatoon to within one.
The Warriors went up by two with five minutes left in the period while on the power play. Aiden Ziprick slid the puck to Macias at the left circle, he stepped into a shot that went off the post and in for his hat-trick goal.
Moving to the third period, the Blades tossed nine shots on the net to try and battle back into the game. However, time and time again, Matthew Hutchison turned them away to keep the Warriors in the driver’s seat.
Back on the power play approaching the nine-minute mark, Lynden Lakovic had the puck at the left circle and made a cross-ice pass to the right side of the Saskatoon net where Pavel McKenzie guided in his 16th of the season.
Lakovic put the game away with less than four minutes remaining when he scored into an empty net.
Krzysztof Macias led the Warriors with three goals, Lynden Lakovic had two goals and three points, Pavel McKenzie had one goal and three points, Aiden Ziprick picked up three assists, and Ethan Semeniuk and Nolan Paquette had two assists each.
Matthew Hutchison was steady between the pipes for the Warriors making 36 saves in the win.
Looking at the special teams, the Warriors were 2-for-4 on the power play and 2-for-2 on the penalty kill.
Next on the Warriors’ schedule is a home-and-home series against the Regina Pats next weekend. The action starts Friday at the Moose Jaw Events Centre and then shifts to the Queen City on Saturday.