MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- It’s safe to say Moose Jaw Warriors forward Rilen Kovacevic is on a bit of a roll right now.
The overage veteran scored three times, including the eventual game-winning goal midway through the third period, as the Warriors went on to a 7-5 victory over the Swift Current Broncos in Western Hockey League action at the Moose Jaw Events Centre.
The hat trick gives Kovacevic nine goals in the Warriors’ last six games and 22 points in 20 games this season.
“Obviously the dynamic of the team has changed a little bit here, and as things keep getting moved around, more guys need to step up and I’m trying my best,” Kovacevic said on the Warriors’ post-game show.
“(High-speed offence) is something you develop over the years playing in a league like this, it doesn’t come naturally to everybody, so I think it’s starting to come my way now that I’m 20.”
The Warriors improved to 6-14-3-1 and are tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference, while Swift Current fell to 14-9-0-0 and remain in second place in the Conference.
The Warriors got off to a great start, with a pair of defencemen getting on the scoresheet in the early going.
Aiden Ziprick scored his fifth of the season as the lone goal of the first period, followed by Connor Schmidt scoring his fifth of the season to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead 5:38 into the second.
Between those two markers, Kovacevic got his night going with the Warriors’ second goal 1:06 into the second period.,
Carlin Dezainde got one back for the Broncos 1:02 after Schmidt’s marker, but Pavel McKenzie would once again make it a three-goal game with 40 seconds left in the period.
Swift Current wouldn’t be in the position they are in the standings without the ability to stage comebacks, and they did just that early in the third period.
Rylan Gould pulled the Broncos within a pair with 4:52 gone in the final frame, and Grayson Burzynski made it a one-goal game only 1:12 later.
The Warriors kept pressing, though, and Kovacevic scored on the power play 2:43 after Burzynski’s goal, followed by McKenzie with his second of the night just under two minutes later.
Jaxen Gauchier looked to make things interesting down the stretch with Swift Current’s fifth goal with 6:04 to play in the game, but Kovacevic finished things off with his hat trick goal with 2:52 to play.
Warriors captain Brayden Yager capped his night with four assists while going plus-five, while McKenzie had a three-point night and Max Finley added a pair of assists.
Gould and Dezainde had three points apiece for the Broncos.
Jackson Unger stopped 31 shots in the Warriors goal to earn the win, Dyck had 32 saves for Swift Current.
The Warriors are back in action on Sunday when they travel to Calgary. Game time is 3 p.m. Moose Jaw time.
