BY Jonathan Huntington
REGINA – The SMAAAHL league final just became a lot more interesting – on and off the ice.
Thanks to a stellar performance by goaltender Steven Wawryk, the Moose Jaw Winmar Warriors defeated the Regina Pat Canadians 3-2 in OT Wednesday night to force Game 4 Friday in the Band City.
And many eyes will be watching Friday night to see if young phenoms Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue are in the Pat Cs’ line-up OR in Medicine Hat where the Regina Pats will open their WHL playoffs on the road.
Schultz and Pue are both first-round Regina Pats’ draft picks and played more than 30 games in the regular season in the WHL while also starring in the U18AAA league with the Pat Cs.
“I haven’t even thought about (the line-up for Friday),” quipped Regina Pat Canadians head coach Ryan Hodgins, who was understandably still digesting the defeat.
If it wasn’t for Wawryk’s long list of highlight reel saves, the Pat Cs would have been celebrating a league title on home ice after Game 3.
“He’s been lights-out all year and tonight, he was exceptional,” said Moose Jaw head coach Trevor Weisgerber on his net-minder. “It could have been a different game.”
It could have been a blow-out if it wasn’t for Wawryk. “It’s a great feeling,” he said outside the dressing room. “But we’ve got Friday to worry about.”
Wawryk robbed Regina’s Nathan Gardiner with less than two minutes remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime. And unlike the first two games of the series, Moose Jaw came away victorious when Riley Brown won a battle with Schultz in the neutral zone to lead to Deklin Larmer scoring the biggest goal of his young career.
“Brown got the pass across and I saw high glove (side being available),” explained Larmer. “Honestly, I kind of blacked-out.”
FINISH LINES: Moose Jaw’s victory spoiled a two-goal performance by Pue… Regina lost for the first time in nine post-season games… A season-high crowd of 1,600 filled the Co-Operators Arena for Game 3.
