Sitting with a five game lead over the Notre Dame Hounds for the final playoff spot and ten points behind the rest of the pack the mission for the final six games of the Yorkton Harvest's SMAAAHL regular season is simple.
Win enough games to gain momentum and to secure a playoff spot before hoping to create some magic in the 1/8 matchup in the first round of the playoffs. After an up and down first season under new head coach Dan Cross the Harvest would have a huge chance to earn momentum and help secure their playoff destinies in two of their final three home games in a Saturday/Sunday set with the Battlefords Stars.
Playing the second place Stars the Harvest would be given the opportunity to both earn some needed belief that they can potentially knock off the top level of teams in the SMAAAHL playoffs as the lowest seed as well as keep the streaking Notre Dame Hounds at bay. With the Stars losing just once in ten games heading into the weekend it would be no easy task for Yorkton.
The Stars class would be confirmed in the first period Saturday as the Battlefords club went up 2-0 in the opening frame without much resistance.
Keeping the puck deep in the Harvest zone, Battle-fords set up shop and controlled things quite easily by outshooting their hosts 18-8.
Mason Benning and Spencer Bast would be the players to earn the goals as the Harvest's opening period performance was quite similar to the one they showed in a losing effort to the Regina Pat Canadians in their previous home game.
Getting dominated in terms of puck possession things did not look good heading into the second period.
After a first intermission chat with their coaching staff the young Harvest team came out with new energy for the Stars after their sluggish opening period performance. Logan Leslie would score two minutes into the period to start the momentum before Alex Pernitsky would give the Harvest an opportunity to tie the game by taking a cross checking penalty to put Yorkton on the powerplay. Korwin Shewchuk would make no mistake and the Harvest would tie the game less than five minutes into the second period.
Their momentum would be short lived as the Shewchuk goal to tie the game was quickly negated as an Adam Neibrandt penalty shortly after the Harvest game tying goal would put the Stars right on the powerplay. From there the Stars would retake the lead as Spencer Bast would score his second goal of the game with the extra man to put Battlefords back in front 3-2.
Bast would continue to be the thorn in the side of the Harvest later in the period as another powerplay goal would give the Macklin, SK native a hat trick and put the Stars up 4-2. Bast was not done there as one of the most deadly scorers in the SMAAAHL would put the game away for good early in the third period with his fourth goal of the night in an eventual 6-2 final score that looked like it could have been much different early in the second after the Harvest fought so hard to tie the game.
On Sunday the Harvest would take the positives of their early second period into a game where goaltender Carson Bogdan would continue to carry his struggling team. Outshot 17-9 in the opening period, Bogdan would allow the first goal of the game to Josh LaFambroise but that would be all as the veteran would settle in to deny every Stars opportunity in a flurry in the first from Battlefords. Bogdan's timely saves would allow another veteran in Chase McKersie to tie the game with just 2:14 left in the first to steal a period in which they were outplayed by the more talented Stars.
Bogdan's performance in net and McKersie's goal would prove to be the turning point for the Harvest in a game where they needed to get points to continue to keep the Hounds at bay for eighth place as the hosts game out flying to atart the second period. With Bogdan keeping the pucks out of the net, Jaden Kreklewich would put them in front on a feed from Brennan Watson to give the Harvest their first lead of the weekend. Moments later on the powerplay another vet in Levi Morin would give the Harvest a 3-1 lead with a powerplay goal.
Still getting outshot 16-10 in the second period, the Harvest couldn't shake off the Stars that easily. Spencer Bast would score his fifth goal of the weekend less than a minute after Morin's marker to cut the Harvest's confidence and send the game into the third as a one goal affair.
Holding onto a one goal lead, Bogdan would do his best to keep his team in front despite facing massive pressure from Battlefords in another game where the Harvest were massively outshot. After keeping them at bay for nearly half of the third period the lead would be broken as Pernitsky would tie the game up for the Stars and send the game into overtime. Bogdan would make 45 out of 48 saves in regulation to save the Harvest a much needed point, but they would need a goal within five minutes to get the much needed win to end the weekend.
In the four on four overtime period it would be McKersie to play the role of hero, scoring an unassisted goal to give the Harvest the upset win 4-3 win just one minute into overtime. It would be just the fifth win the Harvest had earned since the Christmas break, but it was a big one as it kept Notre Dame three games back of the Harvest for eighth place with just five games remaining.
Of those games none will be more important for the Harvest than their final home game against the Hounds this week as a regulation win would all but end any hopes of a Hounds comeback. If the Harvest can find a way to earn a clutch win during the week their final stretch will be a lot less nerve wracking and will clinch Dan Cross' first playoff appearance as head coach of the Harvest. A loss will set up a wild final weekend where the Harvest will close out their season against the Regina Pat Canadians. Looking to get the job done early, the Harvest must win in their home finale.
