Moose Jaw Express.com

Warriors strike fast in win over Pats Tribe score three times in 47 seconds midway through second, take 6-3 win in Regina

- Randy Palmer - Moose Jaw Express

The Moose Jaw Warriors have shown all season that they can put goals on the board in bunches against their Western Hockey League opponents, but doing so the way they did against their arch-rivals in Regina on Feb. 14 was something a little bit extra. With the Pats leading 2-1 and controllin­g the contest through the first half of the second period, the Warriors suddenly erupted for three goals in 47 seconds to take a 4-2 lead.

As expected, that swung the momentum drasticall­y in the Tribe's favour and they'd go on to a 6-3 victory.

Moose Jaw improved 42-9-1-2 with the victory and remained three points ahead of Swift Current in the race for first overall in the WHL with three games in hand. More importantl­y, the Tribe became the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot, a minor milestone given the team's successful campaign, but a milestone nonetheles­s.

Warriors defenceman Brandon Schuldhaus – continuing his impressive offensive play in recent weeks – scored the Tribe's first goal of the game 6:53 into the first. The Pats were able to pick up momentum from there, though as Cameron Hebig scored to tie the game six minutes later before Sam Steel scored on the power play 1:41 into the second to give Regina the lead on home ice.

Nine minutes later, and the game was suddenly firmly in the Warriors' grasp. Tanner Jeannot scored on the power play at 9:52, Schuldhaus 23 seconds later and Jayden Halbgewach­s 20 seconds after that to put the Warriors ahead 4-2. Jeannot's second of the game at the 6:30 mark of the third added further insurance; Josh Mahura got one back for Regina at the 8:01 mark but that's would be as close as they'd get as Halbgewach­s added an empty netter with just over a minute left to close out scoring.

The Warriors faced the Pats two more times over the weekend, followed by Brandon on Feb. 19 and Swift Current on Feb. 21, with scores unavailabl­e as of press time for those games. Next action for the Warriors is the Hall of Fame Game against Regina on Feb. 24 (7 p.m., Mosaic Place).

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