The Home Hardware Midget AAA Legionnaires opened league play in 2020 how they wrapped it up in 2019 - with a gritty 3-2 win over an opponent above them in the SMAAAHL standings.

Swift Current's previous league game to last night was a shootout win over the fourth-place Regina Pat Canadians on December 17.

Then last night against the previously tied-for-first place Saskatoon Contacts, the Legionnaires again came out on top.

Saskatoon inched ahead 1-0 after 20 minutes, though Tylin Hilbig put the Legionnaires on the board four minutes into the second frame to tie it up. The Contacts responded 35 seconds later on the powerplay though to hold a one-goal lead again heading into the intermission.

It had the makings of a similar script to all four games of the 2019 Mac's tournament in late December for Swift Current, who managed just a tie over that stretch. Over those four games, the Legionnaires had battled for 40 minutes only to come up a goal short, or have their opponent pull away with a late empty-netter.

The 2020 Legionnaires would not suffer that same fate, finally finding that late goal-scoring touch to claw their way to a win.

Jakin Lawrence recorded the game-tying goal 2:43 into the final frame. The two teams went back and forth over the next seven minutes, before Swift Current scored the eventual game-winner.

Spencer Bell was the game-winning goal-scorer for the Legionnaires who have now secured two-straight victories.

Jacob Herman made 28 saves for his 11th win of the season.

Swift Current still stands in sole possession of eighth place in the standings with a 14-12-0-2 record, and sits three points back of the seventh-place Tisdale Trojans with a game in hand.

The Legionnaires are now home to the Prince Albert Mintos (19-11-0-1) Saturday and those Trojans (16-12-0-1) Sunday at the iPlex.