The Swift Current Broncos now trail their second round playoff series after a 5-3 loss to the visiting Moose Jaw Warriors on Tuesday.
The Warriors scored three quick goals in the first period to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Defenseman Denton Mateychuk continued to plague the Broncos with two goals during a three-point outing and now has 10 points in the series.
The Broncos opened the scoring 5:33 into regulation when rookie Ty Coupland scored on the Broncos first shot of the game, finding the top corner on an innocent looking rush. The Warriors quickly took control with three goals in a 1:11 span, beginning with a power play goal from Atley Calvert. Lynden Lakovic gave the Warriors the lead only 19 seconds later when he took advantage of a turnover behind the Broncos net and put the puck into the top corner. Denton Mateychuk doubled the lead 1:02 later on a delayed penalty as he scored on a screened shot from the high slot to follow up on his six-point outing in game two.
The Broncos got back into the game 1:26 into the second period when captain Owen Pickering fired home a slap shot from the top of the face-off circle. They tied the game at the 3:01 mark when Brady Birnie banked a puck off the pad of Jackson Unger from below the goal line for his third goal of the season. The Warriors took another lead in the final minute of the period when Mateychuk snuck behind the Broncos and scored his third goal of the series in as many games.
The Warriors scored the only goal of the third period into an empty net off the stick of Matthew Savoie with 40 seconds remaining in regulation.
Reid Dyck took the loss with 29 saves on 34 shots. Jackson Unger earned his second straight win with 25 saves for the Warriors.
Games four will be Wednesday in Swift Current.
