The Yorkton UCT Terriers bantam hockey team hosted Melville at the Kinsmen Arena on Dec. 21. Five different players found the back of the net including a late goal, to send the game into extra time, tied at 5-5.
Overtime solved nothing.
Yorkton heads into the Christmas break with a record of 9-5 and are tied with the Weyburn Crescent Point Energy Red Wings for second place in the Saskatchewan Bantam AA Hockey League standings as of press time.
"It's a good sign for us heading into the Christmas break," suggests head coach Grant Ottenbreit. "Having scoring from five different players. I think we are starting to get a bit tired and the break will be good for us."
The Prairie Storm sit in first place with their perfect record of 14-0.
A goal by Steven Ste. Marie with 7:48 left in the game secured the Terriers a point before Christmas. Turner Ottenbreit got the lone assist.
Melville had opened up the scoring 48 seconds into the first period Koal Roberts scored to give the Millionaires a 1-0 lead. Ottenbreit replied with his first of three points by scoring at 9:30 from Kholton Shewchuk and Caleb Sutter.
Roberts scored his second in a row to put Melville back out in front, 2-1, unassisted at 9:13 of the first, sending both teams to the dressing room with the Millionaires up by one. Melville would outscore Yorkton in the second period two-to-one, giving them a 4-2 lead heading into the third period.
In the second period, Marial Beny and DJ Crane scored for the visitors, while Tanner Mak scored the lone Yorkton goal in between the Melville markers.
Down three goals heading into the third, Yorkton turned its offence up a notch to beat Millionaire netminder Benji Taypotat, whose GAA for the season went to 5.00. Yorkton's Jake Holinaty scored only 25 seconds into the third to cut the Melville lead to 4-3. Ottenbreit and Shewchuk drew the assists.
Melville's Roberts would tally his third goal of the game at 15:31 to put the Millionaires' lead back up two goal to 5-3.
Chance Patterson would bring Yorkton back to within a goal and Ste. Marie would send the game into overtime at 7:48 to secure the lone point. Mak and Josh Rohatynsky would record the assists on the Patterson goal, while Ottenbreit helped set up Ste. Marie for the equalizer.
Yorkton goalkeeper Rylan Palchewich stopped 25 shots over three periods while Taypotat stopped 23 shots.
The holiday break comes at a pretty good time for the bantam squad. Ottenbreit said they've played in three tournaments so far this season, and are scheduled for a fourth in Saskatoon over New Year's.
