The Saskatoon Blades fell 3-2 Sunday at SaskTel Centre against the Swift Current Broncos.
The Bridge City Bunch found themselves down a goal with 20 minutes left. Chances from several players almost tied it, but Broncos netminder Reid Dyck stopped all 13 shots in the third period.
Calgary Flames draft pick Hunter Laing scored his first goal as a member of the Blue and Gold after being acquired on January 8 from the Prince George Cougars. The 2006-born forward has one goal and two assists in five games since joining Saskatoon, giving him 11 goals and 15 assists in 33 games.
Blades goalie Evan Gardner earned the second star on the night after a 32-save performance. The Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick made several key stops in the third to allow his team a chance to tie the game. Gardner’s record drops to 17-11-2-1 on the season. Saskatoon’s overall record is now 23-15-2-3, good for first place in the East Division.
Saskatoon forward Tanner Scott opened the scoring just over halfway through the first period with his eighth goal of the season. The Sherwood Park, AB product went top-shelf past Dyck on the glove side to make it 1-0 Saskatoon. Fellow 20-year-old players Grayden Siepmann and Ben Saunderson assisted on the goal, giving a point to all three of Saskatoon’s 20-year-old players.
Laing made it 2-0 Saskatoon with 4:35 left in the opening frame. The 6-foot-6 forward’s 11th goal of the year was his first as a Blade, giving him three points (1G, 2A) in five games since coming to the Bridge City.
Broncos forward Trae Wilke brought his team within one before the end of the period with his ninth goal of the year. Saskatoon finished the opening 20 minutes outshooting the Broncos 13-12.
Wilke’s second of the game came 5:19 into the second to make it 2-2. The Saskatoon native has ten goals and 11 assists in 39 games this season.
Saskatoon product Hunter Mayo made it three straight goals for the Broncos with 6:29 left in the middle frame. The former Red Deer Rebel has 13 goals and 13 assists in 38 games this season, three of those goals coming against Saskatoon. The Broncos headed into the third with a 3-2 lead and held it until the final horn.
What’s Next?
The Blades will have a week of practice before hitting the road on Friday to take on the Prince Albert Raiders at the Art Hauser Centre.Puck drop is 7:00 pm CST.
