Sports stats



WHL Moose Jaw Warriors

Preview: Warriors Battle Rebels in New Year's Eve Showdown

December 31, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release


The Moose Jaw Warriors will be looking to close out 2021 on a high note on Friday night when they host the Red Deer Rebels at Mosaic Place on New Year's Eve.

Warriors head coach Mark O'Leary said he feels the team is improving heading into the new year.

"We came into the second half at .500, not where we want to be to finish the year, but at the same time, we've improved since the start of the year and that's what we want, a good trajectory," he said.

The Warriors returned from the Christmas break with a 7-4 win over the Central Division-leading Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday night.

The win saw the Warriors gain momentum as the game went on, erasing a 3-1 deficit with five unanswered goals in the second period.

O'Leary said he liked the team's energy in the win.

"I know we were excited to get back at it and we talked about races and battles all the time and that's where I think we won the game," he said.

Tuesday's win saw 17-year-old rookie forward Nathan Pilling score for the third straight game, continuing his strong play from the end of the first half.

He said it feels like his hard work is paying off.

"It feels rewarding for sure," Pilling said. "I just try focus on putting myself in the right place at the right time and I guess that's that's paid off."

O'Leary said Pilling has put in the work to get the results.

"He's the guy that wants to learn," he said. "He's the first person at the rink and one of the last to leave and he's a guy that's got all the tools, he's got the skill level to do great things in this league."

The Rebels enter Friday night's game coming off two wins over other East Division teams in high scoring games.

Red Deer beat Saskatoon 7-6 in a shootout on Tuesday night and then picked up an 8-6 win in Prince Albert on Wednesday.

O'Leary said the Warriors play in the defensive zone with need to be crisp, but he's confident his team can give the Rebels a challenge.

"They're a really organized, well structured team, they're in good spots, they're hard and heavy," he said. "They like to do a lot of their offensive work in and around the net, down low plays and have some big bodies that can jam away."

Moose Jaw and Red Deer have split their two meetings this season with the road team coming out on top both times. The Warriors won the last meeting, 4-0, in Red Deer at the start of the month.

Pilling said the Warriors will need to be defensive focused on come away with a win.

"They're a good team down low, they cycled the puck well and find ways to get into the house, so really just collapsing in the D-side and really just playing behind the puck first," he said.

The Warriors and Rebels face-off at 7 p.m. on Friday night at Mosaic Place.

Moose Jaw will then ring in 2022 in Regina against the Pats with an afternoon game at the Brandt Centre.

Check out the Moose Jaw Warriors Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2021


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central