Dyck's shutout leads Slough Sharks over Warriors

The Lake Diefenbaker Slough Sharks (26-27-1-2) jumped out to a 2-0 lead just 3:20 into the game while Reid Dyck shut the door with a 31-save shutout as the Slough Sharks blanked the Moose Jaw Warriors (35-20-0-3) 4-0 Saturday night.

Lake Diefenbaker found the back of the net on the game’s opening shift. On a three-on-two rush, Connor Hvidston sent the puck to Josh Filmon on left wing before Filmon found Caleb Wyrostok heading to the front of the net.

Wyrostok took the pass on his forehand before quickly pulling it to his backhand and sliding it passed the outstretched Jackson Unger, putting the Slough Sharks ahead 1-0 just 30 seconds into the game.

Less than three minutes later, Wyrostok intercepted a breakout pass by the Warriors and rifled home his second of the game 3:20 into the first period. It was Wyrostok’s 20th goal of the season. Moose Jaw called their 30-second timeout following the goal.

The Slough Sharks went to their first power play 11:44 into the first, but it was the Warriors who had the best chance. On a shorthanded two-on-one, Brayden Yager rung a shot off the bar on the blocker side of Dyck, before the Slough Sharks took off on an odd-man rush of their own. Drew Englot was stopped by Unger on the ensuing rush.

After killing off their first penalty of the game, Lake Diefenbaker took their 2-0 lead into the intermission, outshooting Moose Jaw 13-10.

The game remained 2-0 through the entirety of the second period, though the Slough Sharks penalty kill had to come up huge as Wyrostok was given a double minor for high sticking.

Dyck stood his ground in the Slough Sharks crease, denying every shot sent his way in the next four minutes to keep his team ahead 2-0 heading into the third period.

Moose Jaw started pouring on the pressure during the final frame, but the Slough Sharks did an excellent job in limiting their chances on net. During a Lake Diefenbaker power play mid-way through the third, Owen Pickering broke up a three-on-one rush by the Warriors by twice blocking passes off the rush to negate a scoring chance for the Warriors.

With Unger on the bench for the extra attacker, the Slough Sharks withstood a push by the Warriors before Filmon found a loose puck in the slot and hit the empty net from his own zone to extend the lead to three.

Filmon then added another empty-net goal in the final seconds as Wyrostok intercepted a pass from Denton Mateychuk deep in Warriors territory to make it 4-0.

The shutout was Dyck’s second of the season as the Slough Sharks snapped their five-game losing streak with the win. The team now gets set to meet the Medicine Hat Tigers (24-23-8-1) Tuesday night on the road.

Announced attendance was 2,075.