The Yorkton Harvest fell to the visiting Notre Dame Hounds at the Farrell Agencies Arena Thursday night in their first home game of 2012. The Hounds narrowly won by a score of 3-2, a power play goal being the winning difference in the game.
David Clements opened the scoring for the Hounds with the lone goal of the opening period.
Jaden Kreklewich tied the game with a power play goal early in the second period assisted by Tanner LeSann and Josh Lees.
A goal by Joel Steve and a singlehanded power play marker by Ian Williams gave the Hounds a 3-1 lead after two periods.
Lynnden Pastachak pulled the Harvest within one early in the final frame with a powerplay goal assisted by LeSann.
Notre Dame managed to hold the Harvest off for the remainder of the period to claim the 3-2 win.
Harvest head coach Jeff Odgers admits the 2012 start looks rocky if one simply looks at the wins and losses. However, Odgers points out, the team's effort and they way the boys played was very good. The Harvest lost by one goal to the number one team in the league. "We played then tough with opportunities to win," he states.
The Harvest followed up with a tie in Tisdale against another top team in the standings. "We could have had four points but ended up with one. Unfortunately with our situation in the playoff run we need more points," Odgers says.
The Harvest played Notre Dame pretty even, he asserts. The second period, the Harvest's nemesis, was the exception.
There have been some changes in the last few days, Odgers notes. The Harvest lost left winger Jake McMillen most likely for the remainder of the current season to a broken collar bone, Odgers reports. "If we can manage to get into the playoffs, there's a chance that he'd come back for the playoffs," Odgers adds.
Kailum Gervais who came down from the Terriers and was playing some outstanding hockey with the Harvest was called back to the Terriers for the rest of the season. "He was a leader and making everyone around him better," Odgers says.
The Harvest signed Brandon Kayter who was playing AA Midget hockey in Melville to fill one of the two gaps. "He's played seven games for us as an AP. Now he's going to be with us full time," Odgers notes.
Kayter has been playing very well up front for the Harvest, Odgers continues. "He's not a very big guy but has a huge heart," he adds.
The other gap will remain open the rest of the way, Odgers suggests. The Harvest will use AP players when needed. Thursday night it was Dakota Boutin, a bantam age player who plays AA Bantam in Melville. He stepped into a regular shift for the first two and a half periods on a AAA midget team and did very well for himself, Odgers states. "He did well for himself considering he's 14 years old playing against 17 year olds. That's a big difference," he notes.
Going back into Wilcox to face the Hounds in the second game of a home and home series Sunday, Odgers says he expects another good game after playing them even up Thursday night. "We're a team that going to fight and scrap for every goal and we can't give up any more opportunities than we have to," he closes.
In the second game of the home and home series Sunday, the hometown Notre Dame Hounds outshot the visiting Yorkton Harvest 36-22 on the way to a 6-2 win.
The first period belonged to the Hounds who tallied three goals, one by Clements and a pair of goals by Williams.
Williams opened second period scoring with a short handed goal midway through the period.
With just under two minutes remaining in the period, Taylor Clark scored for the Harvest assisted by Jeffrey Ness and Josh Odelein.
Nicholas Pouliot scored Yorkton's second goal, a powerplay marker, midway through the third period.
Notre Dame added a pair of powerplay goals, one each by Matt Sefton and Keegan Milligan to clinch the 6-2 win.
