The Warren Mercs weathered a demanding early-January stretch in the SEMHL, shaking off a rough road loss before defending home ice with authority and grinding out a shootout win to stay in the thick of the playoff chase.
Mercs forward Jesse Korytko opened the scoring and added an assist against the Carman Beavers
Warren ran into a buzzsaw in Winkler on Saturday, Jan. 3, as the Winkler Royals struck early and often in a 9–1 decision. The Mercs briefly answered when rookie Mason Waite buried a feed from Matt Cameron late in the first, but Winkler answered almost immediately and poured it on from there. Goaltender Evan Baty was under siege all night, turning aside 39 shots as the Royals rolled four lines and kept the pressure on shift after shift.
The Mercs responded the next afternoon with a statement performance on home ice. Warren jumped all over the Carman Beavers on Sunday, Jan. 4, cashing in six first-period goals to seize full control in a 7–3 win. Jesse Korytko opened the scoring, sparking a quick strike barrage that also saw Braydon MacDonald, Brenden Luschinski, Kaden Stewart and Matt Cameron light the lamp. Drake Lindsay added a power-play marker in the second, while Travis Bosch slammed the door, stopping 42 shots. The third period turned chippy, with multiple scrums and misconducts as emotions boiled over.
Warren capped the stretch with a barn-burner on Saturday, Jan. 10, outlasting the Portage Islanders 9–8 in a shootout. The Mercs caught fire late in the opening frame, ripping off five goals in under 10 minutes to swing momentum. Gianluca Esteves led the charge with a pair, while Brett Brooks converted a penalty shot in the third to keep Warren in front. Portage pushed back hard, forcing overtime in a back-and-forth third, but after a scoreless extra frame, Drake Lindsay snapped home the lone shootout goal to seal the win. Bosch was sharp when it mattered, closing the door in the skills competition.
With the split, Warren sits fourth in the SEMHL standings at 7-5 for 14 points, firmly in the playoff mix behind Winkler, Springfield and Red River. The Mercs continue to be tough to handle at home, combining a balanced scoring attack with timely goaltending.
Warren is back in action Friday, Jan. 16 when it hosts Springfield, before heading to Portage on Sunday, Jan. 18 for a quick turnaround rematch.
