Their return to home ice didn't go quite as planned for the Moose Jaw Generals on Thursday night and they're hoping it was a lesson learned.

After playing four games over the weekend at a tournament in North Dakota, the Generals were hoping to return to the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League with a bang, but instead they fell flat in an 8-2 loss to the Notre Dame Hounds at Mosaic Place.

“It was just one of those nights. The puck was just going for them and every bounce seemed to go in our net, not that we were very good, but we weren't as bad as score indicated,” said head coach Ray Wareham.

“You hate to be in these situations, but when you are, you hope that you learn something from it and are better for it for the next game.”

Wareham wasn't happy with how the team started the game as they gave up 17 shots in the first period and found themselves down 3-1 after the opening twenty minutes.

“It's been a few games in a row now where our starts haven't been very good, preparation and stuff like that,” he said. “Managing the puck as well, we do silly little things at silly times and it gets us in trouble, so you keep harping away and hope that they learn sooner than later.”

Carson McManaman opened the scoring for the Hounds with a power play marker 4:17 into the game. Cole Fonstad evened up the score for Moose Jaw just before the midway point, but the Hounds struck for another two power play goals late in the frame from Justin Lee and Lucas Fraulin for the two-goal lead after one.

Tyson Manz pulled the Generals within one 1:34 into the second period, but the Hounds restored the two-goal lead just 13 seconds later on a goal from CJ Walker and they controlled the game from there.

Adam Dawe scored twice in the second and Dominic Schmiemann and Walker added goals in the third for the lopsided win.

For really the first time all season, the Generals goaltending was sub-par in the loss with Colby Entz getting pulled after allowing five goals on 22 shots. Hunter Arps didn't fare much better after coming on in relief, giving up three goals on 20 shots.

“I was harping on the guys on the bench, sure some of those goals that went in tonight probably shouldn't have went in for us, but those two have been there all year for us, they've been our back bone and that's how you're going to play in front of those guys when they have an off night,” said Wareham.

“It was nothing that Colby did (when I pulled him), I was trying to give it to our guys that this is unacceptable.”

With a tough stretch of games on the horizon for the Generals, Wareham is hoping that the team takes Thursday's loss to heart and come back stronger.

“We're going to have to compete harder and we're going to have to take care of the puck,” said Wareham. “Other than Fonstad and the Manz boys, I don't think anybody generated anything, so you can't have one line.”

The Generals, who remain in second place with a 12-3-0-3 record, will be in Yorkton this weekend for games against the Maulers on Saturday and Sunday. They face the Hounds again next Wednesday as well.