MOOSE JAW -- The Moose Jaw Warriors have had more than their share of difficult times in the third period in recent games, but it was their turn to have things go their way on Tuesday night.
Ethan Semeniuk scored twice in the final frame and the Warriors would go on to a 4-2 victory over the Regina Pats in Western Hockey League action at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
Moose Jaw improved to 9-21-3-1 to move within two points of the Pats for 10th place in the Eastern Conference. Regina fell to 9-19-4-2.
A defensive zone turnover led to the first goal of the game for Regina with 9:51 gone in the opening period. Braxton Whitehead used the opportunity to find room on his wing and get off a hard-angle shot, with Zach Moore earning the reward for going hard to the net by putting home the rebound.
The Pats had a chance to increase their lead with just over four minutes to play the Warriors were hit with a high-sticking double minor, but Moose Jaw would successfully kill both penalties off.
The Warriors received a key reinforcement prior to the game with the return of overage forward Brayden Schuurman, who played his first contest since suffering a lower body injury way back on Oct. 11.
Sure enough, he’d figure into Moose Jaw’s first goal.
Schuurman would find Pavel McKenzie at the side of the net with a pass from the point, and McKenzie would take a couple strides to the front of the goal before putting a shot top shelf. The power play marker came with 2:16 gone in the period.
Regina would get that one right back, though, taking a 2-1 lead 2:01 later thanks to Caden Brown going hard to the net and redirecting a Jace Egland pass to the front of the net.
The Pats took advantage of back-to-back penalties to the Warriors to generate a ton of pressure not long after, but Moose Jaw goaltender Josh Banini would hold the fort.
That included a breakaway save on Zack Pantelakis and a follow-up stop on Matt Paranych as the period wound down to keep it a one-goal.
Immediately after that chance, Rilen Kovacevic and Casey Brown would go in on a two-on-none, but Pats netminder Kelton Pyne would get across for a huge pad save on Brown, and the period would end with a 2-1 Regina lead.
A Regina penalty gave the Warriors a chance to tie the game midway through the third, and McKenzie would strike again. Kovacevic got off a great cross-ice pass from the boards that would find McKenzie for the back-door one-timer, and he’d hammer it home with 9:25 to play.
Moose Jaw scored again on the power play and took their first lead of the game 3:10 later.
Semeniuk was in the right place at the right time to knock the puck into the net during a goalmouth scramble and the Warriors would take a 3-2 edge with 6:15 remaining in regulation.
Semeniuk then finished things off with an empty netter with 16 seconds remaining in the game.
The contest was easily the best of the season for the Warriors’ special teams, as they’d finish 4-for-5 on the power play and hold Regina scoreless on five attempts.
McKenzie finished with three points on the night while Schuurman had two assists.
Banini turned aside 35 shots to earn the win in goal, Pyne had 20 stops for the Pats.
The two teams are right back in action on Wednesday afternoon, with Regina hosting Moose Jaw at the Brandt Centre. Puck drop is 4 p.m. on a special New Year’s Day matinee.
