Wilson and Coward to play for Mac’s championship

Wyatt Wilson (left) SOUTHWEST BOOSTER FILE PHOTO

Two Swift Current hockey players will look to ring in the new year with a championship at the Mac’s AAA Midget World Invitational Tournament on Wednesday.

Goaltender Chase Coward and defenseman Wyatt Wilson are both members of the Moose Jaw Warriors, who have complied a 5-0-1 record to reach the final of the 25-team tournament.

The Warriors finished with a 3-0-1 record in the round robin. They defeated the Calgary Royals 4-2, the Caribou Cougars 3-2, the Airdrie Bisons 5-2 and then tied the St. Albert Raiders 3-3.

Coward made 22 saves in the win over the Cougars and made 31 saves in the tie against St. Albert. Wilson picked up assists against Airdrie and St. Albert.

The Warriors battled their way to a 4-1 win in the quarter-final on Tuesday morning and then edged the Saskatoon Blazers 1-0 in overtime in the semi-final in the afternoon as Coward earned the shutout with 27 saves.

The championship game will be on Wednesday afternoon at the Calgary Saddledome against either the Cariboo Cougars or the Calgary Buffaloes.

The Warriors are currently tied for first in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League with a 21-8-1-0 record. Wilson has six goals and 17 assists in 23 games on the blueline. He is a Swift Current Broncos prospect after being acquired in a trade from the Lethbridge Hurricanes.

Coward is second in the league with a 1.94 goals against average to go along with a 0.93 save percentage. Coward recently signed with the Red Deer Rebels.