Warriors within one win of first WHL Championship after Game 3 overtime thriller

By Cami Kepke May 15, 2024

Moose Jaw, Sask.- The Moose Jaw Warriors are one win away from the first WHL Championship in franchise history.

The Warriors have forced the Portland Winterhawks to the brink of elimination with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 3 on Tuesday night, and Head Coach Mark O’Leary isn’t afraid to build up the moment and the opportunity for his players.

“They’ve earned this,” O’Leary said postgame. “I don’t think you need to shy away from it. I think it just comes back to being in the moment and understanding the opportunity you have. You talk all along, whether it’s with first-year players understanding that regardless of how many minutes you’re playing, you just need to be ready for that moment. It could be the biggest moment of the game or of the season and that’s where we’re at tomorrow. Just come prepared and be ready.”

It took about five minutes for tickets to Games 3 and 4 of the 2024 WHL Championship Series presented by Nutrien to sell out.

It took even less time for the Moose Jaw Warriors to get on the board in the first-ever final-round game at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

Just over four minutes into the opening frame, Rilen Kovacevic broke ahead of the play, held onto the puck for an extra beat, and wired a pass to Lucas Brenton for a tap-in goal.

This marks Brenton’s second goal of the postseason and the third time the Warriors have struck first in the series.

But Portland showed great resolve in the early frame, with Jan Spunar turning aside several difficult shots.

Ryan Miller would spring Tyson Yaremko for a breakaway opportunity, and the Saskatoon product ripped a shot glove side on Jackson Unger to level the game.

The Winterhawks would take their first lead in a game in the WHL Championship Series with a shorthanded stunner.

Edmonton Oilers prospect James Stefan broke into the Moose Jaw zone on the penalty kill, drawing the Warriors defenders to him, and dropped the puck to a wide-open Nate Danielson, who outstretched Unger to tuck the puck into the yawning cage on the backhand.

The Detroit Red Wings prospects’ marker tied Stefan for the team-leading seventh of the playoffs.

The Warriors would atone for some special teams sins by countering with a powerplay goal to tie things up once more.

Captain Denton Mateychuk’s shot from the high slot deflected en route to the Winterhawks net and out of reach of Spunar.

The 2022 12^th overall Columbus Blue Jackets pick hit paydirt on the man advantage again late in the frame with a sizzling wrister destined for the low glove side.

The drama wasn’t over as a Marcus Nguyen shot ping-ponged off a pair of Warriors and into the home side’s net with just over 15 minutes left in regulation, sending the match to overtime for the first time in the Championship Series.

That’s where 20-year-old Brayden Schuurman- who was acquired in a trade with the Victoria Royals early in the season- batted a rebound into the net for Moose Jaw’s fifth overtime victory of the postseason.

“We’ve been in that situation before,” Mateychuk said. “Obviously not against Portland, but knowing that we can win in those situations going into overtime, I think that helped us.

We’ve got the whole city behind us, it feels like. They’ve been awesome throughout playoffs, greeting us and everything like that. I think that gives us a little extra boost.”

But Portland is still focused on earning an all-important first win.

“It’s a fine line,” General Manager and Head Coach Mike Johnston said. “One bounce here or there is going to be a difference in the game. We talked about it yesterday as a group, once we get that first win, it will change the series.”

The Ed Chynoweth Cup will be in the building as the Warriors look to win their first WHL Championship in Game 4.

The sold-out match is set for Wednesday, May 15 at 8:00 p.m. ST at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.

Warriors within one win of first WHL Championship after Game 3 overtime thriller

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