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Harvest split weekend set with Legionnaires

Somehow the Yorkton Harvest get both lucky and unlucky, sometimes at the very same time. On Sunday afternoon at the Farrell Agencies Arena, and trailing by a score of 3-0, they managed to score a pair of goals.


Somehow the Yorkton Harvest get both lucky and unlucky, sometimes at the very same time.

On Sunday afternoon at the Farrell Agencies Arena, and trailing by a score of 3-0, they managed to score a pair of goals.

With the goaltender pulled in favour of a sixth attacker with the game clock under two minutes, Yorkton threw everything but the kitchen sink at Swift Current Legionnaires goaltender Kyler Beckett.

He didn't budge, thus earning the win for Swift Current.

The day before, Yorkton was gift-wrapped a 5-1 victory by the same Legionnaires club in a game that nobody even on Yorkton seemed too overly thrilled about.

"We didn't play as good as we could," insists second-year forward Levi Cable.

Cable chipped in that night with three points. a goal and two assists, but didn't even seem to want to mention that either.

Team captain Dustin Skilliter seemed even less enthusiastic about the margin of victory.
"Things went in the back of the net every time they turned it over," he said looking like he wanted to throw up in spite of it.

Graham Garrett, head coach of the Harvest, wasn't basking in any type of glory either.

"When we shot the puck, it went in," explains Garrett, adding "they outshot us."

Denin Boesch, Kade Halabuza, Gage Rapitta and Tanner LeSann each scored in the win.
Kale Thomson got the win in net stopping 37 of 38 shots he faced.

He noted that Swift Current played much better in the second of back-to-back matches in Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League action as the two clubs split wins.

Garrett isn't anxious or worried as the club now embarks on a road trip that starts at Notre Dame (Oct. 21) and ends in Tisdale on Nov. 10.

Garrett said the game's opening period does Yorkton in every single time and that winning hockey games in this league takes a full-blown effort for a full 60 minutes.

"Just...you can't play in this league without playing for 60 minutes."

He said talent is not what the team lacks, adding that he hopes they can all get it together at the same time.

"Individually guys are very good sometimes," he offered, but cautioned that on the flipside "...sometimes they're not."

He blamed a lack of good forechecking as the reason why things fall short sometimes.
"You have to be able to handle 60 minutes in this league."

Skilliter said it's good to be able to win games even when they don't play well but stated that these were two games, Yorkton undoubtedly expected to come out on top in.

"It's always nice to not have too much pressure," he said of Saturday's win but "we were hoping for the 'w' again today."

We should have had both, without a doubt. It's kind of upsetting."

Swift Current's Tanner Froese and Matthew Boha combined to give the visitors a 2-0 by the end of the first period.

"The first period has been the downfall of this team every game this season," Garrett stated in the dressing room following the loss on Sunday.

It got worse in the second period when Matthew Audette tallied to put Yorkton down 3-0 but the Harvest got one back before the end of the frame when Ben Johnstone scored unassisted to break the shutout attempt.

Rookie Denin Boesch brought the Harvest to within a goal at 12:40 of the third from Johnstone and Cable on the power play.

Yorkton currently sits in fifth spot in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA hockey league, tied with the Tisdale Trojans; both sit one point behind the Moose Jaw Generals in fourth.

The Cornerstone Credit Union game star for the Yorkton Harvest was Ben Johnstone.