The Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League are sitting on a three game winning streak – their longest streak of the season.
The Terriers were on a six game losing streak when they faced the Weyburn Red Wings in Weyburn last Wednesday, Nov. 9. The Terriers had faced the Red Wings three times prior to that game, and had lost all three. But they were able to come together and bring home the win with a final score of 3-1. Terriers’ goals were scored by Jared Legien (2) and Tyler Baier.
The game against the Red Wings also marked the first game with the Terriers’ new assistant coach, Mat Hehr.
On Saturday, Nov. 12 the Terriers finally returned home to the Farrell Agencies Arena (FAA) to face the Nipawin Hawks. They had played seven games away from Yorkton prior. They were able to secure another win to their name with a final score of 4-1.
The Terriers came out strong from the start. By the end of the first period, they had three goals on the board. The first was scored by Carson Welke and the next two by Jared Legien.
The second period saw another goal for the Terriers, this time from Shane Sherban. Although the Hawks were able to get one goal in the third, they couldn’t make their way back, securing the win for the Terriers.
The game against the Nipawin Hawks was the first game for Terriers’ new goalie Nathan Hargrave. He was picked up in a trade from the Weyburn Red Wings just a few days before. Hargrave is ranked sixth in the league. He said he’s excited to be on board with the Terriers for the rest of the season.
“It’s been a big change since Wednesday. I was playing the team that I’m now playing for,” said Hargrave. “But I think this team has a lot of potential. We’ve got some really good guys who are injured so when they’re back in the lineup we can really be a threat in the league.”
Sunday night saw the Terriers face the Estevan Bruins at the FAA. A close game was a successful finish for the Terriers with a final score of 3-2.
The Terriers scored first in the first period. The goal came from Dexter Robinson - his second goal of the season. But the Bruins quickly tied the game, where it would remain for the rest of the first.
The second looked very similar, with one goal from each team. The Bruins got their second goal approximately nine minutes in, but the Terriers responded about one minute later with a goal from Evan Werle. The second would end tied at two.
The Terriers secured the win in the third. The winning goal came from Cody Dubas roughly seven minutes in. This would be all the Terriers would need to pull out their third win of the week.
“We played good. We had our ups and our downs but we came together and came out with four big points this weekend,” Dubas said after Sunday’s game.
Dubas’ goal was his first with the Terriers, and he said it felt good to get that first one out of the way.
Head coach and general manager Casey O’Brien said the guys have been making adjustments due to several injuries that have some key players sitting out, but he’s happy with the outcomes over the past week.
“It’s just progress. The guys are learning how to play in these tight, one-point games. They’ve learned how to play with a lead which is something we haven’t been able to do in the last couple of weeks,” O’Brien said.
Goalie Matt Vernon, who played in the games against the Red Wings and Estevan, was recognized by the SJHL as the rookie of the week. Jared Legien was awarded runner-up for the player of the week.
The Terriers head on the road again next weekend as they face the La Ronge Ice Wolves and the Melfort Mustangs. They’ll return to the FAA on Friday, Nov. 25 for another match up against the highway ten rivals from Melville. This game will also host a teddy bear toss. The Terriers encourage fans to bring teddy bears to toss onto the ice to give back to the Salvation Army for the Christmas season.
