SWIFT CURRENT -- The Moose Jaw Mustangs are unbeaten no more in the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League Junior division.
The Swift Current Wolverines outscored the Mustangs 7-4 in the third period and would go on to a 12-9 victory in league action Thursday night in Swift Current.
Moose Jaw falls to 3-1-0 and remain in second place in the six-team league, while Swift Current improved to 2-3-0 and hold down fourth place.
The two teams found themselves in a back-and-forth battle in the first period, and the Mustangs looked to take control of things when Braxton Mac Angus, Jacob Gyman and Cooper Bruce scored three straight goals in the latter half of the frame to build a 4-1 lead.
Bruce’s marker with 1:55 left in the period kicked off a sudden flurry of late goals. The Wolverines’ Ryder Smith scored eight seconds after that goal, Lukas Salikan replied for the Mustangs with 38 seconds left in the period and Paul Piche made it a 5-4 Moose Jaw lead with 29 seconds remaining.
Grady Henderson scored twice for the Wolverines in the first four minutes of the game, Chase McKee had Moose Jaw’s other goal in the period.
Things settled down in the second stanza, as the Wolverines Nathan Klimm scored the lone goal of the frame at the 11:10 mark and the two teams would go into the third tied 5-5.
There, with the Mustangs holding an 8-7 lead midway through the period, Swift Current would score five straight goals from 9:10 to 14:02 to pull away for good.
Piche, Rhone Foster, Isaac Froese, Carter Lamotte and Shane Cornelson all scored in the five minute span to give the Wolverines a 12-8 lead.
Ryder Gilroy would get one back for Moose Jaw with 4:35 remaining, but that’s as close as they’d get, and Swift Current had their three-goal win.
Gilroy had a hat trick in the third period and finished with five points, Carter Hudyma had Moose Jaw’s other goal in the third.
Henderson finished off his hat trick to start the final period and finished with four points. Froese also had three assists, with Piche, Lamotte and Ryder Turko all having three point games for the Wolverines.
Salikin picked up three helpers and had a four-point night for Moose Jaw, Bruce and Mac Angus added two assists each.
Joey Juchacz turned aside 29 shots in taking the loss for the Mustangs, Tyler MacIsaac had 29 saves for the victorious Wolverines.
The two teams are right back at it on Wednesday night, this time at the Kinsmen Arena in Moose Jaw. Game time is 8 p.m.
