The Yorkton terriers have dropped the opening game of their Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League semi-final with Battlefords.
The Terriers got off to a good start in the opener tonight, (Friday), on the road as Cole Keenleyside scored the lone goal of the first period, a powerplay marker at 5:53.
Yorkton’s one-goal lead would not last long in the second period as a goal by Elijah Loon-Stewardson tied the contest at 4:24.
It was only 1:22 later that Dayton Heino scored to give the host Stars a 2-1 lead.
Then it was Braydon Buziak who popped a goal to give the home team a 3-1 lead. Buziak’s goal came at 10:42.
Things quickly got worse for the Terriers as the third period got under way.
Loon-Stewardson was back for his second of the game, this one on the powerplay, only 1:28 into the frame.
Then 38-seconds later Ryan Gil added a fifth goal for Battlefords, again a powerplay marker to extend the Stars lead to 5-1.
Kishaun Gervais scored at 13:37 to make it a 5-2 lead, and give the Terriers some hope but that would be all the scoring Yorkton could muster is the series opener.
The Stars however would add one more to their total as Austin Shumanski potted the sixth goal for Battlefords with only 31 ticks left on the clock.
Ryan Ouellette took the loss in the Yorkton net facing 43 shots, while Joel Grzybowski recorded the win for the Stars facing 31.
Game two of the series will be played Saturday, March 30, at the North Battleford Civic Centre.
The best-of-seven series heads to the Farrell Agencies Arena in Yorkton for games three and four Tuesday and Wednesday.
In the other semi-final Melfort won the series opener by an identical 6-2 score over visiting Estevan.
