Regina goalie Eric Kratz mades a big save in tight on Moose Jaw's Cody Dunlop to keep the Riot in front.

The season didn't end how the Moose Jaw Junior Mustangs were hoping as they lost out to the Regina Riot, 9-5, on Wednesday night in the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League playoff opener at Mosaic Place.  The Mustangs had won three straight coming into the game, including the season finale over the Riot, but it wasn't meant to be.  

“We came across a good goaltender, we had a crazy amount of posts and everything, but it just didn't go our way.  We did good as a team and our heads are held high that's for sure,” said captain Taylor Dobrescu after the game, which was the last of his junior career.  “I'm really close with all the guys, so being the final year, it really sucks that we won't get to do it all again next year.”

The Mustangs sported a veteran line-up and were hoping to qualify for provincials with a win against the Riot.  They will have ten players graduating after this loss.

“These guys wanted to go to provincials and they had something to prove,” said head coach Doug Johnson.  “In the dressing room in between periods, there was good encouragement, nobody was down on anybody and that's what this team has been all year, nobody has gotten down on anybody else.”

The Mustangs had been clicking coming into the game, but Johnson agrees with Dobrescu's assessment that they ran into a hot goaltender and couldn't overcome it.

“He's a good goaltender, he stood his ground and he hadn't played as well in the last game we played against them,” said Johnson on Riot goalie Eric Kratz.  “We could have been shooting a little bit better, but we were getting lots of shots, we were getting our chances and some were really good chances, but we just didn't capitalize.”

The Riot did capitalize on their chances as they build up a 4-2 lead after the first period, despite Dobrescu scoring just 22 seconds into the game for Moose Jaw.  They expanded that lead to 7-4 by the end of the second.

Moose Jaw was able to mount some pressure in the third period, controlling much of the play, but when Regina got a shot, they scored and sealed the win with two more goals in the period.

“In the first, we just missed a couple of shifts and they scored some goals on us.  The second period, we picked up our game and I thought it was a pretty good period.  Then the third period, well, they tried,” said Johnson.

Dobrescu and Chris Fall each had two goals for the Mustangs in the loss, while Cody Dunlop added a goal and an assist as their season came to an end.  The Riot were led by Cole Philips, who scored five goals in the win.

Regina will now advance to provincials next weekend in Saskatoon, while Moose Jaw is left to think about what could have been.

“We had the chance to possibly go all the way if we really bared down, but stuff happens, it's still fun and I love the game, so can't really complain,” added Dobrescu.