Raiders captain Evan Herman salutes the Art Hauser Centre crowd one more time after his final game there as a Raider. (Submitted Photo/Mark Peterson Media)

By Rob Mahon

Raiders Home Closer

Raiders fall to Moose Jaw in home finale

Mar 25, 2023 | 2:29 AM

In a season full of comeback attempts falling just short, it would seem fitting the Prince Albert Raiders would wrap up their home schedule on another gallant comeback effort that turned sour in the last moments.

Down by a 3-0 count in the second period, the Raiders roared back against the Moose Jaw Warriors to tie the score on Saturday, March 24. But a fluky goal and a 4-on-3 power play against turned the tide back against them again.

Sloan Stanick scored twice and Niall Crocker scored once, but Jagger Firkus replied twice for the Warriors in their 5-3 win. Max Hildebrand stopped 26 of 31 pucks thrown his way, while the Raiders solved Jackson Unger three times on 32 shots.

Though they had the better of play in the first period, the Raiders trailed by one after it. Martin Rysavy powered his way into the Raiders’ zone and dropped it back for Ben Riche, and the rookie forward snapped it home from the high slot.

In the second, the Warriors got the first of what would prove to be two unusual bounces in their favor. Firkus broke into the zone and fired a shot high and wide, but it bounced off the glass, off the back of Hildebrand and in. Then, Logan Dowhaniuk scored off a rebound just 1:33 later to make it 3-0.

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A power play promised to give the Raiders some needed momentum, and it did. Landon Kosior fired from the right point and Stanick tipped home his 27^thto make it a 3-1 game. Then, on another power play in the third, Ryder Ritchie fired a hard pass from the top of the right circle that Niall Crocker only had to redirect in for his 17^th.

With Ryder Korczak in the books for hitting Kosior after an icing, the Raiders struck again. In the dying seconds of the man advantage, Stanick drove the net with his stick down and Kosior’s shot pass went in off him to tie the game.

Korczak got the last laugh, however, breaking the tie just 44 seconds later. On a 2-on-1, Korczak tried to feed it across only to see his pass bounce off of a sprawled out Kosior, high in the air, and into the net.

A late 4-on-3 goal by Firkus, sniped home from the right circle, gave Moose Jaw all the breathing room they’d need to cruise to the win.

The Raiders season finale will be Saturday, March 25 in Regina. Puck drop is 7:00.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP