The Swift Current Broncos didn’t quit until the final buzzer, but lost 5-3 to the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday.
Fatigue, surprisingly, was not an issue for the Thunderbirds. Playing their sixth road game in nine days, Seattle scored four of the first five goals to skate past the Broncos.
Seattle got out to a quick start with a pair of first-period goals. Sean Richards scored on a wrist shot 4:48 into regulation and Jarret Tyska scored on a screened point shot 4:20 later.
The Thunderbirds stretched their lead in the second period with another 2-1 advantage on the scoreboard.
Tyler Carpendale scored early in the period before newly named Broncos’ captain Tanner Nagel tipped home a power play goal to get the Broncos on the board. Richards scored his second goal of the game on a blown coverage to put Seattle up 4-1.
The Broncos played one of their best periods of the season in the third when they fired 20 shots on goal and got two goals from overage defenseman Matthew Stanley.
Andrej Kukuca scored a breakaway goal for the visitors to ensure the Broncos would never come within one goal.
Isaac Poulter made 29 saves on 34 shots to fall to 2-9-0-0. Cole Schwebius made 31 saves to improved to 2-5-1-0 for Seattle.
The Broncos fell to 8-30-2-1 with their second straight loss. Seattle improved to 15-21-4-0 as they finished with a 4-2 record on their East Division road trip.
The Broncos will continue their seven-game home stand on Sunday at 4 p.m. against the Brandon Wheat Kings.
