The Yorkton Terriers started out their regular season play this weekend.
On Friday, more than 1,000 people gathered at the Farrell Agencies to support the Terriers in their first game against the Weyburn Red Wings. The following night the two teams faced off again on Weyburn ice.
Friday’s game was a battle until the very end – literally. A last minute goal sent the game into overtime, and the Terriers fell 2-1.
The Terriers held the lead from the first period right until the end. Terriers player Kaleb Bell scored halfway through the first period, making the score 1-0.
The second period was scoreless for both teams, but the Red Wings led in shots on net.
The third period looked similar to the second - a lot of shots, a lot of saves. But with 3.8 seconds left in the game, Weyburn was finally able to puck the puck in the net.
The game went into overtime, and the Red Wings scored halfway through. The final score was 2-1.
After the game, Yorkton goalie Jakob Severson said it wasn’t quite the way they hoped to finish.
“It was hard fought,” he said. “But I think we worked hard and it was a great atmosphere out there. The fans were great, it was fun to be a part of.”
Severson was able to block 44 out of 46 shots on his net. But he said it wasn’t easy to get over a goal scored in the last few seconds of play.
“Three seconds to go – that’s tough. Especially with zero on the board for so long in the game, but it happens.”
Head coach Casey O’Brien was pleased with his team’s performance, despite the outcome.
“I was satisfied with the effort,” he said. “We found ourselves in penalty trouble, and it kind of ruined the flow after the first period. We have to avoid taking eight penalties in a game against a good, veteran team.”
He also said for Saturday’s game, they would focus on being more consistent with their shots.
Severson was at the top of O’Brien’s list of players who played exceptionally well on Friday. “Jakeb was very good, and Regan Seiferling on the back end there. That’s kind of what I expect - some of our returning guys to come back and be our go to guys right from the start,” he said.
“And it was nice to see Kaleb Bell score his first goal tonight.”
Saturday’s game in Weyburn saw the Red Wings finish on top again. The final score was 4-1.
Terriers started on top, with Carson Welke scoring the first and goal of the first period.
But once the second period started, the Red Wings brought the pressure and the shots, scoring three goals in the second. They scored their fourth early in the third period, and the Terriers were not able to come back.
