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WHL Moose Jaw Warriors

Warriors Finish off 2022 against Wheat Kings

December 30, 2022 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Moose Jaw Warriors News Release


A big key to the second half for the Moose Jaw Warriors is consistency from game to game.

After Wednesday's big win over Winnipeg in their return to the ice, the Warriors will be aiming to carry that momentum over into a home-and-home set against the Brandon Wheat Kings.

"Winnipeg is a top tier team in our league, so to get that big win after the long break, it was a big win for us and hopefully we can move forward with that and carry some momentum," Warriors defenceman Max Wanner said.

The Warriors put together a strong first half of the season, but are looking to take their game up a notch in the second half.

Head Coach Mark O'Leary said Wednesday's win was a good tone setter for the rest of the season and something for the team to build on.

"When you're playing against good teams, you want to bring your best and I thought there was a lot of players that did just that," he said. "That can build confidence and just remind everyone that when you do things the right way, we're a pretty good team as well."

Building that belief will be key for success moving forward. O'Leary said the Warriors' locker room believes it is one of the top teams in the league.

"The guys have been together for a few years now and there's a belief in there that they want to build for something special and wins like that certainly help," he said.

The Warriors will take on the 13-16-4-0 Wheat Kings for the final two games of 2022.

The home-and-home set begins on Friday in Moose Jaw and then flips to Brandon for a New Year's Eve showdown on Saturday.

Wanner said the key for the Warriors against the Wheat Kings will be taking care of the puck.

"Making simple, hard plays when we don't have an option," he said. "I feel like we did that really well against Winnipeg and we're hoping to continue that for the rest of the season."

For O'Leary, he said puck management in the neutral zone will be the focus for Moose Jaw.

"Brandon gets a lot of their offence through that quick counter going back the other way," he said. "Brandon has skill, especially in their top six and when we don't have the puck, we need to make it hard on them and work to get it back in a hurry."

The Warriors and Wheat Kings square off at the Hangar at 7 p.m. on Friday night.

Tune into all the action on WHL Live and Country 100. Get ready for the game with IKS Media Warriors Live's Pre-Game Show on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, starting at 6:45 p.m.

Check out the Moose Jaw Warriors Statistics



Western Hockey League Stories from December 30, 2022


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