2015 ended on a sour note for the Moose Jaw Warriors on Thursday night as they were handed a 6-2 loss by the Medicine Hat Tigers at Mosaic Place to end into the new year on.

Brody Willms was peppered with 43 shots in the loss, while Tanner Jeannot finished with two assists in a losing cause for the Tribe.

Medicine Hat was paced by captain Cole Sanford, who posted a goal and three points in the win.  David Quenneville, Mason Shaw and Caleb Fantillo each had two assists for the Tigers.

The game was pretty even in the early going.  Moose Jaw’s fore-check was able to create turnovers and opportunities to start the game, but they weren’t able to find the back of the net.

Medicine Hat was given the game’s first power play and they were able to produce the game’s first goal.  At 3:21, Sanford controlled the puck along the left wall, he tossed it towards the middle of the Moose Jaw zone where Max Gerlach deflected it past Willms to give the Tigers the early lead.

It only took the Warriors 13 seconds to respond after the goal as Dryden Hunt and Jeannot muscled the puck to the Tigers crease, Brett Howden found the loose puck and put a backhand to the back of the net for his 15th of the year to even the game at one.

Moose Jaw struggled to start the second period and didn’t record their first shot on net in the frame until eight and a half minutes in.  Medicine Hat on the other hand made strong adjustments in the first intermission and came out hard in the second period.  They were quick up the ice and forced pucks to the net, outshooting the Warriors 20-9 in the period.

The visitors broke the 1-1 tie 6:44 in to the second period when Ty Schultz’s point shot in to traffic hit twine.  They went up 3-1 three minutes later, when 20-year-old Sanford beat Willms blocker side on a shot in the high slot between the circles.

Medicine Hat didn’t let off the gas pedal in the third and 15 seconds in, Tyler Preziuso made it 4-1.  Goals from Baxter Anderson and Matt Bradley later in the frame made it a five-goal game.

Moose Jaw saw life late in the third when Nikita Popugaev scored a highlight reel goal, but it wasn’t enough to spark a comeback as the Warriors ended 2015 with a 6-2 loss.

Moose Jaw was 0-for-2 on the power play and 1-for-3 on the penalty kill.

The Warriors are off until Saturday when they open 2016 at home against the Kootenay Ice.  Western Nissan Warriors Hockey returns to Country 100 starting with the Pre-Game Show at 6:40pm.