ASSINIBOIA – The 1,300 hockey fans assembled at the Southland Co-op Centre only needed the edge of their seats for WHL action as the Moose Jaw Warriors and Swift Current Broncos provided a fine show on Sept. 9.
A special moment of silence was held in tribute to long-time local hockey fan Bob Rust, who passed away on Sept. 2.
Mayor Sharon Schauenberg - flanked by members of the Assiniboia U-18 Rebels - provided greetings on behalf of the town,
“Wow. Look at this place!” she exclaimed. “We can feel the energy in the air as we prepare to watch some fantastic hockey!”
Schauenberg also commended the U-18 Rebels on their 2023 Provincial Champion title, asking team captain Marshall Ruzicka to drop the puck for Bronco Van Eger and Warrior Denton Mateychuk.
Eger had started his hockey career in Assiniboia as a minor with the Stingers before eventually going on to play in Weyburn and Notre Dame, then to his current position with the Broncos.
“Van, your community is proud of you,” Schauenberg said. “Welcome home!”
In their last meeting on Sept. 7, the Broncos delivered a 7-2 loss to the Warriors in Swift Current, so the Moose Jaw boys were eager to answer the call.
Answer, they did.
It only took 29 seconds of regulation play for the Warriors to tickle the twine with a quickly exeucted goal from Jagger Firkus, assisted by Mateychuk and Atley Calvert. This would trigger the “Firkus and Calvert show” as both would go on to earn hat tricks by the time the game was through.
Breaking the shut out was Bronco Billal Noori (from Ryan McCleary and Maddix McCagherty) to round out the first frame 2-1.
The Broncos took the lead momentarily in the second period, jumping up 4-3 (goals from Eger, Sawyer Dingman and Mason Fauser), but the Warriors’ Lyndon Lakovic (from Josh Hoekstra) would tie the game in that same frame.
Calvert pushed two power play goals to insure the win, and with mere seconds on the clock, Moose Jaw would go on to clench a 7-4 win.
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