WHL Moose Jaw Warriors

Warriors Advance to WHL Final with Another Thrilling OT Win

May 7, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release


Saskatoon, SK - For the second straight game, Lynden Lakovic came through in the clutch for the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Lakovic scored 36 seconds into the overtime to send the Warriors to the WHL Championship Series for the second time in franchise history after a 3-2 win over the Saskatoon Blades in Game 7.

"Our punch back is the best in the league," Lakovic said. "We do it for each other."

The Warriors and Blades played one of the most thrilling series in Western Hockey League history with six of the seven games needing overtime to decide a winner in the Eastern Conference Championship.

"It's such a tight group, we've said it all along, they just don't want to let each other down," Warriors head coach Mark O'Leary said. "There's nothing that fazes this group, they're destined for big things and we saw it here tonight."

Warriors captain Denton Mateychuk said the team's depth shown through to help get them through to the final.

"We heard the stuff that they were saying before the series about how we just had our top guys and didn't really have that other stuff and to win a game like that, it takes a full team effort," he said.

Lakovic scored the overtime winner for the third time in the playoffs, including the final two games of the Eastern Conference Championship.

O'Leary said he comes through when the team needs it the most.

"Lak knows what to do in overtime games, he's shown that, just all kinds of excitement," he said.

After winning Game 6 on home ice, the Warriors struck first in the deciding game when Ethan Semeniuk scored his first of the playoffs with 6:25 left in the first.

Saskatoon answered back with 7:38 left in the second period when Easton Armstrong finished in tight to even the game at 1-1 after two.

Just past the midway point of the third, Jagger Firkus fired home his 12th of the playoffs to put the Warriors back in front.

The back-and-forth game continued though and Saskatoon's Vaughn Watterodt evened the game once again with 3:07 to go in regulation.

The Warriors only needed one shot in the extra period as Lakovic ended it with a shot from the wall that went off traffic in front to give Moose Jaw the win.

"Our coach is always saying throw it on net, something good might happen and I seen Atley driving there and I thought I'd just try to throw it there and a greasy rebound happen and I was lucky enough to get a bounce off one of their guys skates," Lakovic said.

Jackson Unger saved his best game of the series for last as he turned away 37 shots to backstop the Warriors to the win.

O'Leary said Unger stayed calm throughout the game.

"You watched him the crease tonight and you just watched him compete," he said.

The Warriors now advance to the WHL Championship series for the first time since 2006 and just the second time in franchise history.

Mateychuk said the team knows how much this playoff run means to the community.

"They came out to send off right before we left yesterday to come here and it's more than just about us, it's about the City of Moose Jaw and all they do for us," he said.

The Warriors will face the Portland Winterhawks for the WHL Championship, starting on Friday in Portland.

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