The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League championship came down to a final deciding game in the best-of-seven final.
The game was scheduled for Tuesday night in LaRonge, but results were not available at press time.
Yorkton forced the deciding game Sunday.
For the third straight playoff game at the Farrell Agencies Arena, the Yorkton Terriers and LaRonge Icewolves went to overtime.
And, facing elimination trailing the series 3-2, the home team was trailing 3-1 in the third period Sunday night. The visiting team took a bunch of penalties setting the stage for a wild finish.
The first period was scoreless.
In the second, the Terriers struck first when Clarke Breitkreuz put on a bit of a magic show, scoring an unassisted marker at 7:48 of the second.
Skyler Hladun tied the game with an unassisted marker of his own midway through the middle frame.
The 1-1 tie held into the third period. Logan Herauf and Travis Eggum each scored within the first eight minutes to push the Terriers to the brink of elimination.
Then LaRonge was charges with over nine minutes in penalties and Yorkton's Zak Majkowski scored a powerplay goal as Justin Ducharme served a five-minute major for boarding.
The hit which couldn't have come at a worst time for LaRonge fans, appears to have ended Kurtis Decker's season as he suffered a severe leg injury.
Still down a goal, Breitkreuz scored his second unassisted goal of the game, tying the game at 3-3, a score which held through regulation time.
Yorkton had several good opportunities to end the game before the third period ended.
Craig Eisenhut would be the Terrier hero in overtime scoring on a powerplay only 1:24 into the extra frame for the win.
Devin Peters faced 31 shots to get the win in the Terrier net. Adam Bartko took the loss for LaRonge facing 39 shots.
After the game Eisenhut was all smiles.
"It's a great feeling. I'm just happy we get to go to Game 7," he said.
Scoring a winner in overtime in a must-win game was "everything I ever dreamed of," added Eisenhut.
Asked what the mood was being down 3-1 in the third Eisenhut said the Terriers remained focused.
"Our team always believes," he said. That said, he added "I think we got a little bit nervous," after letting the Icewolves build up a two-goal lead.
Trent Cassan, Yorkton's head coach, said that once LaRonge went up 3-1, it was a case where the team had a choice.
"It was at that point we had a choice to make. Feel sorry for ourselves and complain about some things, or dig in and play even harder," he said.
Cassan said the Terriers are a team which responds to pressure having learned some hard lessons through the year.
"We've faced a lot of adversity all year," he said. " It made us stronger."
The Terriers faced more adversity moving to Game 7 minus Decker.
Cassan said the five-minute major, which the Terriers took advantage of to close to within one goal "was the right call," given Decker went to the hospital as a result of the play, and "probably won't play the rest of the season."
As for the Eisenhut goal, the Terrier coach noted "he's played pretty consistent all year long. He's a pretty skilled guy. He competes pretty hard."
The same thing goes for Breitkreuz and his two goals, said Cassan.
"He scored a couple of goals on tremendous individual efforts. He's a pretty highly skilled guy," offered Cassan, adding the one effort Sunday "was pretty similiar to a goal he scored in LaRonge back in Game 5 on Friday night."
Cassan said when Breitkreuz makes up his mind to drive the net "he's a pretty hard guy to control."
On the game-winner Eisenhut said he got a pass from Jeremy Boyer and took the shot and it found the mark.
Game 5 in LaRonge
Power plays were definitely the difference at the Mel Hegland Uniplex in LaRonge. Aided by a nine-to-two margin, the Icewolves won Game 5 in LaRonge 4-3 via four man-advantage games.
Eisenhut gave the Terriers a 1-0 lead at 19:29 of the first, with Jeremy Boyer making it 2-0 with an early second period marker.
Aaron Enns made it 2-1, before Breitkreuz restored the two-goal Terrier lead.
Then it was the referee's whistle which made the difference as Marc Andre Carre, Enns and Ducharme 8:18 into the third scored powerplay goals for the win.
Peters faced 33-shots in the loss, while Bartko had to defend 31 for the win.
Cassan did not use the lopsided penalties as an excuse, but he did wonder at the calls.
"As a coach, I stick up for my players. I felt probably we could have had a few more powerplays," he said.
As for the Terrier penalties, Cassan reminded the media horde that "hockey is a game of emotion," which at times results in over exuberance.
Farrell Arena action
Last Tuesday, the Icewolves required only 22-seconds in overtime for the win when Travis Eggum connected.
LaRonge led 2-1 after 20 minutes on goals by Herauf and Graham Smerek, while Robbie Ciolfi responded for Yorkton.
Majkowski scored the only goal of the second to knot the score 2-2.
Ducharme of the Icewolves and Nathan Murray of the Terriers traded third period markers.
Peters faced 25 shots in the loss, while Bartko faced 31 in the win.
A night later the game again went to overtime, this time the Terriers needing 1:59 to score the winner by Boyer.
The game was tied 2-2 after 20 minutes, with Carre and Herauf scoring for LaRonge and Ciolfi and Boyer for Yorkton.
Ciolfi scored the only goal of the second, while Nolan Souchotte tied the game at 3-3 with an Icewolves goal in the third.
Peters faced 32 shots in the win in the Terrier net with Bartko facing 27 for LaRonge in the loss.
"It's a big win for us obviously," said Cassan after the game, adding the team finds a way to win the important contests. " We believe, as a team, in each other."
Getting the two goals out of Boyer was huge, admitted Cassan.
"Obviously he's a very talented guy," he said,
In general Cassan said the games in Yorkton "were very evenly played."
