WHL Moose Jaw Warriors

Warriors Come Back To Beat Vancouver In Overtime

Published on December 1, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release


The Moose Jaw Warriors are finding ways to win and it continued on Wednesday night.

Moose Jaw scored three unanswered goals to come back from two two-goals deficits in the third period and win 5-4 in overtime over the Giants in Vancouver.

"We played really well," Warriors assistant coach Scott King. "I liked our energy and we played a really solid hockey game."

Ryder Korczak scored the game winner for his fourth goal of the season, 2:41 into the extra period. The 20-year-old forward has 11 points in seven games since returning to the Warriors from the AHL's Hartford Wolf Pack.

The Warriors trailed 3-1 less than a minute into the third period and 4-2 just six minutes into the final frame before starting the comeback.

Atley Calvert cut the lead to one with 9:15 to go in the third and Jagger Firkus tied the game with only 54 seconds to play.

"That's a big part of becoming a better team and getting some adversity and be able to find a way to fight through it," King said. "Credit goes to the players for sure, they could have easily packed it in, but kept pushing."

Firkus finished with a goal and three points in the win. He extended his point streak to 19 games, which ties the franchise's longest streak since 1996-97.

Moose Jaw controlled much of the play in the first period, outshooting the Giants 16-8, but trailed 1-0 on a goal by Zack Ostapchuk.

Jackson Unger made a huge save on a penalty shot by Ostapchuk with just five seconds to play in the first period.

Karen Gronick made it 2-0 for the Giants just 2:33 into the second period, but Nathan Pilling responded with his seventh of the season for the Warriors, making it a one-goal game heading into the third.

"We could have been up a couple in the first and second periods, we left a lot of the table," King said.

Ty Thorpe gave the Giants a two-goal lead only 47 seconds into the third period.

Robert Baco responded for Moose Jaw with his fifth of the season only 3:37 later.

Less than two minutes after that, Mazden Leslie scored to move the Giants back in front by two goals before Moose Jaw started it's come back with two goals in the final ten minutes of the third.

Jackson Unger made some key saves down the stretch in the third period and overtime to help secure the win. He finished 23 saves on the night.

"He stopped that penalty shot, that was a big moment in the game, made some good saves when he had to come across," King said. "I thought he gave us a chance to win and that's all you can ask for out of your goaltender."

Moose Jaw outshot Vancouver 38-27 on the night, while going 1-for-5 on the power play and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.

The Warriors have now won four straight on their B.C. Division road as they prepare to begin making their way back to the east with games in Red Deer (Saturday) and Calgary (Sunday) this weekend.

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Western Hockey League Stories from December 1, 2022


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