The Terriers have stayed atop the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Sherwood Conference with a pair of wins on the week, but the lead is down to only two points.
The split leaves the Terriers with a record of 29-15-2-4 for 64 points.
Kindersley is now only two points back, with 62. Weyburn sits third with 53 points, Estevan has 51, Melville 43 and Notre Dame with 41.
The most recent Terrier win came Saturday when Yorkton played host to Notre Dame at the Farrell Agencies Arena.
With six players missing due to injury, and a seventh on suspension, the Terriers played with three affiliated players in the line-up and emerged with a 4-1 win.
Yorkton, who enjoyed period leads of 2-0, and 3-0 on their way to the win, were led by Junior 'B' call-up Jeremy Johnson, who scored his first two Terrier goals in his sixth game of spot duty with the team. Riley Paterson and Justin Buzzeo had singles. Devin Peters faced 24-shots in the Terrier net to record his 21st win of the season.
Johnson said the first goal was one he has been looking for.
"It was kind of a relief, I've been hoping for that first one for a while," he said. Johnson, has shown a knack for scoring with the Jr. 'B' Ochapowace Thunder.
He has amassed 52-points in 34-games and was recently tagged Rookie of the Year in the Prairie Junior Hockey League.
In spite of his Junior 'B' success Johnson said it was a step up to play with the Terriers. He said in Junior 'A' players are "bigger, faster" then quickly added "the goalies are a lot better too."
That said, Johnson noted "it's not so hard adapting to the other players," but in getting only spot duty getting "the chemistry is a lot different."
Johnson said the Junior 'B' experience has been a big help, especially considering he had not played above Tier II through his minor hockey career.
Johnson was asked if he kept the puck from his first Junior 'A' goal in front of a hometown crowd?"I think, but I don't know where it is at the moment," he said with a smile.
The goal was where he said he "opened up in the slot," and simple "put it on net" and it found a hole.With Terrier head coach Trent Cassan on a trip south to watch his sister play college hockey, General Manager Don Chesney stepped back on the bench Saturday.
"It was my third time on the bench this year, and three wins," he said with a smile.
Chesney said while the Hounds and Terriers are on opposite ends of the standings, it was not an easy game as Notre Dame is chasing the final playoff spot currently held by Melville.
"Tonight was a big game for us," he said, pointing to a bit of a patchwork line-up due to injuries.Chesney said the Terrier call-ups did well though, with Johnson scoring twice, and defenceman twins Brady and Chase Norrish being steady.
"The two Norrish twins didn't look out of place for two 17-year-olds," he said.
The twins, in spite of being young rookies, were paired throughout the night.
"Their strength is playing together," said Chesney, adding they've been together their entire minor hockey careers.
As for the list of injured players, Chesney said if the playoffs were to start now, he would be worried, but with a couple of weeks of regular season still ahead, he said the likelihood is everyone will be back in the line-up when the most important games begin.
Last Tuesday, the Terriers took it on the chin early in Kindersley being outshot 29-7 and outscored 6-0 in the first period.
Terrier starting netminder Devin Peters was pulled after the fifth goal after facing 23-shots in favour of Warren Shymko who went the rest of the way in an eventual 9-6 loss.
The Terriers had second period goals from Blaine Tendler, Riley Paterson, Robbie Ciolfi, and Jeremy Boyer to make it 9-4 after two frames.
Tender and Justin Buzzeo had the only goals of the third for the Terriers to round out the game.The shots ended up 54-41 in favour of the home team.
A night later, the Terriers were back in action in North Battleford, where Peters settled in to stop 32 of 33 shots backstopping Yorkton to a 4-1 win.
Brent Struble scored a pair in the first period to give Yorkton a lead.
Craig Eisenhut scored for Yorkton in the second, trading goals with the Stars' Cole Gibson to make it 3-1 after 40-minutes.
Devon McMullen added the Terriers final goal in the third to round out the win.
Chesney said after the loss in Kindersley Cassan and Assistant Coach Dan McKay "kind of read the riot act" to the team. "They made everybody accountable," he said.
The team responded with a stronger effort against the Stars.
Up next
The Terriers head into the week with a trio of games scheduled.
Last night, (Tuesday), the Terriers were to play Battlefords at the Farrell Agencies Arena. Results were not available at press time.
This weekend the Terriers play a home-and-home set with Melville. Friday the game is at the Stadium in Melville, potentially the last time the teams will ever face-off in that building, and the teams swing back to Yorkton for action Saturday.
Then next Tuesday Yorkton heads to Weyburn.
"I think every game is big at this time," said Chesney, adding he'll let Cassan and McKay worry about the upcoming games, "and I'll get back to getting the donuts."
