The Yorkton Harvest season is all over but for the wind-up ceremony as the SMAAAHL league leaders, the Prince Albert (P.A.) Mintos, eliminated the Harvest three games to one in the first round of the playoffs Monday night at the Farrell Agencies Arena.
The eight top midget teams advance to the SMAAAHL playoffs at the end of the regular season. In the first round, the first place team, this season the Prince Albert (P.A.) Mintos, take on the eighth place team, this year the Yorkton Harvest.
In the first game of the best of five games series, played at the Art Hauser Centre Arena in Prince Albert, the Mintos outshot the Harvest 31-18 on the way to a 6-3 win.
Jordan Tkatch opened the scoring for the Mintos with a first period power play goal.
Kody Thue tied the game for Yorkton a little past the mid point of the period assisted by Ryley Stefanyshyn and Kade Halabuza.
A four goal second period by P.A. pretty much put the game away for the Mintos.
Tad Kozun notched a pair of goals early in the second frame and added a third for his hat trick in the third period.
Adam Fauchoux and Jordan Swenson each added a power play marker to round out second period scoring.
The Harvest rallied with a pair of third period goals but couldn't find a way to overcome the Mintos' commanding lead.
Ben Johnstone notched a solo marker to open third period scoring.
Denin Boesch capped the scoring in the game assisted by Levi Cable and Dustin Skilliter.
In the second game of the first round series at the Farrell Agencies Arena last Thursday night the P.A. Mintos scored one goal in each period to blank the Yorkton Harvest 3-0.
Tad Kozun who scored a hat trick in Game 1 scored twice, once in the first frame and once in the third while Brennen Bososvich notched the lone second period marker to give Prince Albert am two game edge in the best of five series.
Saturday, the series returned to P.A. for the third game of the best of five. The Harvest who were in a bit of a hole, trailing two games to none went in determined to stave off elimination from the SMAAAHL playoffs in three games.
The Mintos opened the scoring as Jordan Swenson slipped the puck past Harvest goalie Kale Thomson on a powerplay opportunity.
Dustin Minto tied the game for Yorkton midway through the period assisted by Ryley Stefanyshyn and Roddy Sewap.
Tanner LeSann gave Yorkton the lead with a singlehanded marker midway through the second frame.
Swenson tied the game again with his second of the game, a powerplay marker.
Kailum Gervais notched the go-ahead goal with a late powerplay marker assisted by Stefanyshyn.
Gage Rapitta opened third period with a solo marker which proved to be the game winner.
Landon Belchamber pulled the Mintos within one goal with under a minute left to play in regulation time. There wasn't time to do any further damage as the Harvest clinched a narrow 4-3 win to send the teams back to Yorkton for the fourth game in the best of five series.
A pair of goals, one in each of the first and second periods by P.A.'s Brennen Bosovich pretty much spelled the end of season for the Yorkton Harvest as the Minto's eliminated the Harvest in the fourth game of the best of five series three games to one in an epic end-to-end battle.
Kailum Gervais scored the lone Yorkton goal midway through the third period assisted by Roddy Sewap and Ryley Stefanyshyn. Unfortunately the Harvest simply couldn't find the back of the Minto's net before time ran out.
Belchamber put the icing on the cake with an empty net goal with 17 seconds remaining in regulation time to clinch the 3-1 win for P.A. to wrap up the first round of the playoffs for the Mintos.
Following the loss in the second game of the series, Yorkton Harvest coach Graham Garrett commented that the puck just wasn't bouncing Yorkton's way. He felt perhaps his players were trying too hard and suffering the consequences.
Garret also wished the series was a best of seven games which allowed for more opportunity to come back with wins.
After Yorkton win in Prince Albert, Harvest assistant coach Gary Lamb praised the efforts of Harvest goalie Kale Thomson, suggesting if he could see the puck, Thomson could stop it.
Following the final loss at home, Garret says the Harvest had some great opportunities to score early in the game, but simply couldn't bury the puck which built the confidence of P.A. netminder Dawson Macauley who made some key saves to win the game.
"I thought we never gave up no matter what the score was in any of the games. We kept playing our game plan but in the end the puck just wouldn't go in for us," he states.
It was hard to see the season end, says Garret. "You never want to see the season end on home ice nor on the road," he comments. "It hurts the same no matter where it happens."
