Broncos rally late to down Warriors Tribe can’t make 3-0 lead stand, fall 5-4 in shootout

The Moose Jaw Warriors have had their share of comebacks this season, late game rallies where they’ve taken a point or two out of a contest that was shaping up to be a surefire loss.

On Dec. 27 in Swift Current, they got a taste of their own medicine.

And it was a bitter pill to swallow, indeed.

Glenn Gawdin and Matteo Gennaro scored 28 seconds apart late in the third period to overcome a 4-2 deficit and then won the game in a shootout, taking a 5-4 victory on the first night of WHL action since the

Christmas break.

Things were looking on the up and up for the Tribe in the early going, as Brayden Burke and Tanner Jeannot each scored before the game was two minutes old. Justin Almeida then added a power play marker 5:56 into the second to put the Tribe ahead 3-0 through two.

Things changed dramatically in the third as Max Patterson and Kaden Elder scored 1:34 apart to pull the Broncos within one. Justin Almeida got that one back on the power play at 7:52 to restore the Warriors’ two-goal lead. Gawdin and Gennaro each scored in the shootout; Almeida and Jayden Halbgewachs each missed on their attempts.

Brody Willms turned aside 23 shots for the Warriors, Logan Flodell made 34 stops for Swift Current.

Burke picked up two assists in addition to his goal, giving him 17 goals on the season and 68 points, putting him only three back of league leading scorer Aleksi Heponiemi.

The Warriors fell to 27-6-1-2 with the loss; the Broncos improved to 26-7-2-0 to sit three points back of the Tribe in the battle for first place overall in the WHL. The Warriors were back in action Dec. 28 for the second game of the home-andhome set with the Broncos and then played Brandon in another home-and-home set on Dec. 30 and 31. Scores for those games were unavailable as of press time. The Warriors play again Jan. 3 when they travel to Red Deer to face the Rebels.