MOOSEJAWTODAY.COM -- The Moose Jaw Mustangs are once again Sask Lacrosse provincial champions in the U15 division.
The Mustangs put together an undefeated run through the championship tournament in Prince Albert over the weekend, winning all three games on their way to claiming the gold medal.
Moose Jaw opened their run with a 5-4 overtime win over the Swift Current Rampage before downing the Weyburn Thrashers 5-3 to advance to the gold medal final. There, they’d roll to a 6-0 win over the Thrashers to secure the provincial title.
That wasn’t the only medal won by Moose Jaw, either, as the Mustangs Black defeated the Mustangs Red in the U13 bronze medal final.
Mustangs 5, Swift Current 4
Caiden Arnott was the hero in Moose Jaw’s opening game in the U15 division, as he scored the game-winner with 46 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Mustangs the win and a far shorter trip to the championship final.
That the Mustangs even got to overtime was a product of some late game magic, as only 43 seconds after Jax Brown had given the Swift Current the lead with 1:49 to play, Bentley Messner would tie the game to send things to overtime.
Messner had scored 4:29 into the third to give Moose Jaw a 3-2 lead, but Brown scored shorthanded with 3:33 remaining to tie the contest and set up the late-game dramatics.
Ryder Seiferling and Cooper Fulton had goals for the Mustangs in the first period, with Nixon Friesen getting one back for the Rampage. Brown kicked off his hat trick with the lone goal of the second period.
Mustangs 5, Weyburn 3
The Mustangs got off to a good start against the Thrashers, scoring a pair of goals in each of the first and second periods for a 4-0 lead.
The Thrashers roared back in the third period, though, as Maddox Mohan scored with 9:14 to play and was followed by Leo Missal power play goals with 1:52 and 1:39 remaining in regulation to make it a one-goal game.
Arnott would finish things off, though, scoring a power play goal of his own with 28 seconds remaining. The goal gave Arnott a hat trick in the contest, with Kyson Mac Angus and Connor Livingston scoring their other markers.
Mustangs 6, Weyburn 0
Shutouts are an incredible rarity in box lacrosse, but Brandt Barber came up with the clean sheet for the Mustangs in their biggest game of the season.
Barber’s teammates gave him all the support he’d need early, as Fulton and Seiferling scored in the game’s first six minutes and Moose Jaw took a 2-0 lead out of the first period.
Fulton made it 3-0 with the lone goal of the second period before Seiferling, Joe Jackson and Brett Bowerin added third period markers.
Livingston had a pair of assists in the gold medal game.
Mustangs Black 5, Mustangs Red 2
The U13 bronze medal game saw the Mustangs Black take a 2-1 lead out of the first and 3-1 lead through two before adding a couple of insurance markers in the final period.
Thomas Porter scored four times for the Mustangs Black, while Ethan Thedoroff contributed a goal and an assist. Griffin Heilman-Fogal and Bennett Dunlop each had assists.
Noel Nelson and Vanden Chappel scored for the Mustangs Red, Cooper MacNaughton, Cruz Seaborg and Tatem Thue all had helpers.
