Lindal, Scopick score, but Contacts fall short in overtime

In what was the first game of hockey played at Merlis Belsher Place since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it was the visiting Warman Wildcats who stole the show from the Contacts in a 3-2 overtime loss.

The Contacts twice battled back from down a goal thanks to tallies from Tyler Lindal and Brodie Scopick, but after 60 minutes failed to emerge a victor, the Wildcats did just that less than a minute into the three-on-three overtime.

The loss was the first for the Contacts this pre-season, after a 3-2 win on Saturday night over the Tisdale Trojans.

Goaltender Chase Wutzke had 16 saves on the night, including a trio of stops on high-quality chances from the visitors in the final three minutes of regulation, ensuring the Contacts would see overtime.

The goals for Lindal and Scopick were their firsts as members of Contacts, with Scopick now leading the team in scoring this pre-season with three points through two games following his pair of helpers in Tisdale on Saturday. 

Defenseman Braydan Smith added an assist on Scopick’s powerplay marker in the third period, as the Vancouver Giants sixth-rounder in the 2020 recorded his first point in a Contacts uniform.

The Contacts will be back in action on Friday night in Yorkton against the Secon Maulers to open a home-and-home, which concludes Sunday afternoon at Merlis Belsher Place, before the 2021-22 SMAAAHL regular season gets underway on Sunday Sept. 26, when the Contacts play host to the Blazers in the first game of the Jim McIntyre Cup.