Tigers put up seven, sweep season series against Warriors
By RYAN MCCRACKEN on January 13, 2020.
rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com
The Medicine Hat Tigers posted four goals on 30 shots in the first period before rallying to a 7-5 victory over the Moose Jaw Warriors on Saturday night at Mosaic Place.
The win pushes Medicine Hat to 28-12-1-1 on the Western Hockey League season – eight points behind the Edmonton Oil Kings for first in the Central Division with two games in hand – while completing a home-and-home sweep to close out their season series against Moose Jaw at 4-0.
While Moose Jaw’s Cade Hayes kicked off the scoring inside the first minute of play, the Tigers responded with four straight tallies from Lukas Svejkovsky, Damon Agyeman, Ryan Chyzowski and Cole Sillinger to take a three-goal lead into the break.
Agyeman – a 17-year-old defenceman who played in only seven games leading into the weekend – suited up for Saturday’s contest as a forward. The goal he scored stood as the first of his career.
The Warriors brought a better effort to the second period, but they were unable to narrow the gap after trading a pair of goals with Medicine Hat in the frame.
Hayes scored his second of the night early in the period, then Brett Kemp responded shorthanded before Ryder Korczak answered back for the Warriors – but Kemp added another with five seconds left in the frame to snuff out any momentum entering the third.
Sillinger added his second of the evening four minutes into the final frame, giving Medicine Hat enough breathing room to hold on through Moose Jaw’s late push.
Logan Doust scored his second in as many games since joining the Warriors in a trade with Victoria Royals on Thursday, then Garrett Wright brought Moose Jaw within a pair late in regulation. But Hat goaltender Mads Søgaard held on to secure the 25-save victory.
Warriors netminder Brock Gould was left with the loss after allowing seven goals on 43 shots. Boston Bilous entered the crease following Sillinger’s third-period tally and stopped all 10 shots he faced down the stretch.
Chyzowski finished the victory with four points.
Medicine Hat has been without forward Elijah Brown since he left Tuesday’s game in Brandon against the Wheat Kings with an undisclosed injury. While he was unable to provide a timeline, Tigers head coach Willie Desjardins said Friday he doesn’t expect Brown to return any time soon.
“He’s out for a while, for sure,” said Desjardins. “It’ll be another week before we kind of have an idea of where he’s at.”
The Tigers return to the Canalta Centre Saturday to host the Lethbridge Hurricanes (25-10-2-5) at 7:30 p.m.
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