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Face-off between the Warriors and Tigers at Mosaic Place in Moose Jaw Friday night (Photo: DiscoverMooseJaw.com)

The Moose Jaw Warriors got a couple breaks and a couple goals from an unlikely source as they knocked off the Medicine Hat Tigers 2-1 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second round WHL series.

Joel Edmundson scored both goals for Moose Jaw, while Cam Braes, Sam Fioretti, Eric Arnold and Cody Beach all picked up assists in the series opening win for the Warriors.

Mosaic Place was packed for the fourth time in these playoffs, with 4,598 fans on hand, and while there wasn’t much to cheer about early on they were loud.

The tribe was given a five-minute man advantage just 3:37 into the game when Tigers star Emerson Etem was given a game misconduct for a knee on rookie forward Torrin White, who returned only for a brief time in the second.  Moose Jaw couldn’t score on the power play and the game went into the intermission scoreless.

The Warriors got another five-minute power forty-seconds into the second period when Dylan Bredo picked up a checking to the head penalty on Sam Fioretti, but again Moose Jaw couldn’t capitalize as Medicine Hat goalie Tyler Bunz continued to stand tall.  Moose Jaw finally broke through though a few minutes later when Joel Edmundson jumped into the play and beat Bunz for his second of the playoffs.

Edmundson extended the lead to 2-0 for Moose Jaw midway through the third period with a point blast that found it’s way past Bunz.  With Medicine Hat on the power play late in the third period, they were able to break up Luke Siemens shutout during a scramble play in front of the net, Curtis Valk found a hole and cut the lead to 2-1.  That was as close as the Tigers would get though as Moose Jaw took a 1-0 series lead.

Siemens was solid while having to make just 16 saves for the win.  Bunz was the second star after making 41 saves on 43 Warriors shots.

Moose Jaw was 0-for-3 on the power play, including those two five-minute majors, and Medicine Hat was 1-for-2.

The Warriors and Tigers will be right back on the ice again Saturday night when they square off for Game 2 at Mosaic Place.

In other action, Edmonton edged Brandon 2-1, Portland beat Kamloops 5-3, and Spokane needed overtime to beat Tri-City 3-2. Game two of those three series also goes tonight.