Warriors forward Tanner Eberle.

The weekend ended in controversy for the Moose Jaw Warriors, but the team isn't dwelling on what could have been.

The tribe lost 4-3 in a shootout to the Everett Silvertips on Saturday night, but it was how they lost that game that had the team up in arms after the game and into Sunday.

The Warriors believe that the game winning goal in the shootout for Everett, scored by Manraj Hayer, shouldn't have counted after he lost control of the puck crossing the blue line and his, and the puck's, forward momentum stopped along the boards.  Based on the WHL rule, that should count as his shot, but he was allowed to walk in and score to end the game.

Moose Jaw immediately protested the call after the game, but the officials wouldn't speak with Warriors head coach Mike Stothers on the bench to explain their view on the situation.

“It's a black and white issue, the puck has be going towards the net, as soon as it hits the boards it should have been blown dead, so it's frustrating right now,” said Mark O'Leary, Warriors assistant coach, on the Country 100 Post-Game Show after the game.  “What's more frustrating is the ref wouldn't come over and talk to us, so when you don't get any explanation and you're standing there it's a real hopeless feeling.”

The team remained on the bench together after the play as they looked to receive and explanation on the call.  That's the moment that the team is trying to take away from the controversial situation.

“We thought it shouldn't have been a goal, but it was nice to see our whole team sitting there waiting for the refs to come over,” said Tanner Eberle.  “I'm not sure why they didn't, but it was good to see that we didn't want to lose.”

Eberle pushed the Warriors into the overtime frame against Everett with two third period goals that tied the game.  He said Saturday's effort was a nice bounce back game from their 8-2 loss to Portland on Friday.

“I thought that we didn't give up at all and that was good to see,” said Eberle.  “We had a little lull in the second period, but it was good for us to come out hard in the third period.”

Saturday's game featured a patent Eberle effort with him using his physical game to set up the offensive game.

“He was the heart and soul type player that we're use to seeing from him,” pointed out O'Leary.  “Whether it's just getting a puck out from our zone, or just getting a puck into their zone and being first on the fore check, he was all over the place.  Guys can certainly feed off the energy that Ebs can bring and he certainly brought it.”

The tribe has started their US Division road trip with a pair of losses.  They'll try to get into the win column when they return to action on Tuesday against the Seattle Thunderbirds.

“They're a very similar team (to Everett), so we'll have to many of the same things (to be successful),” said Eberle.  “Without that (second period) lull we should be able to handle them.”

The Warriors did lose three key pieces to start the road trip however with Jack Rodewald, Reid Zalitach and Zach Sawchenko all missing Saturday's contest after suffering injuries on Friday.

Sawchenko will be out for the rest of the road trip with a lower body injury.  15-year-old Brody Willms has been re-called to back-up Justin Paulic during the final four games of the trip.

Zalitach also suffered a lower body injury and isn't expected to be back in the lineup for the remainder of the trip, while Rodewald re-injured his jaw in his first game taking the full protection mask off.  There's no word on the extend of the forward's injury.

If the Warriors need some additional help, they also have 15-year-old Ryan Bowen up on the road trip with them.