The Yorkton Harvest opened the week with a 4-4 tie at home to the visiting Regina Pat Canadians Wednesday night at the Farrell Agencies Arena.
Regina jumped into a 3-1 first period lead on a goal by Dylan Ostertag and a pair of power play goals by Jared Martin.
Branden Kayter scored Yorkton's lone first period goal assisted by Jeffrey Ness and Jaden Kreklewich.
Following a scoreless second period, the Harvest scored three third period goals to tie the game at four after regulation time.
Blake McMillen pulled the Harvest within one goal early in the third frame assisted by Brayden Park and Josh Lees.
Tanner LeSann tied the game with his first goal of the game assisted by Dakota Odgers.
Tyson Predinchuk scored the go-ahead goal, a single-handed marker, for the Pat Canadians to give Regina a one goal edge.
LeSann scored his second of the night, a solo effort with just over two minutes left in the period, to even things up at four goals apiece and salvage a point in the SMAAAHL standings.
Harvest head coach Jeff Odgers says the team battled back twice. "Obviously you don't want to get down 3-1 but the guys showed a lot of heart and character battling back from two goals and later by one goal to force overtime," he reports.
The Harvest didn't have the start they needed for a home game, Odgers admits. The coaching staff changed up some line combinations and tried playing some different guys in the third period which generated three goals, he notes.
The Harvest completed two more games before the Christmas break. The last two games are always tough because everybody's making Christmas plans rather than focusing on the game, Odgers suggests. "It's been a long time since September when they left (home) and they should be looking forward to it but we try to stress we just need their focus here for the last weekend and they can enjoy their Christ-mas as much as they want to," he elaborates.
The Harvest will have a long layoff, returning for a game on the seventh. Players can have a good rest and get refocused, he says. At the same timed, he's a little concerned about too much time away from the ice and hopes players will take some time to get out onto the ice at home to keep themselves in shape during the break.
Saturday the Battlefords Stars two goal third period lifted the Stars to a 4-2 win over the visiting Yorkton Harvest at the North Battleford Civic Centre.
Carter Danczak opened the scoring with the lone first period goal to hand the Stars a one goal lead after 20 minutes.
The Harvest replied with a pair of second period goals to take a brief one goal margin. Odgers scored a power play goal early in the second assisted by Park and LeSann.
McMillen added Yorkton's go-ahead goal midway through the period assisted by Lees and Park.
Danczak tied the game at two with his second goal of the game.
The Stars added two quick third period markers while holding the Harvest scoreless in the period. Danczak scored his third of the game and Austin Duzan added the insurance marker to clinch the 4-2 win.
The Harvest came out on fire Sunday afternoon outshooting the Battle-fords Stars 45-29 to wrap up the year with a decisive 9-3 win in the second game of a two game series at the North Battleford Civic Centre.
Lynnden Pastachak opened the scoring early in the first period to light up the board for Yorkton assisted by Adam McCannell and Kailum Gervais.
Brody Tatchell tied up the game midway through the period.
Odgers made it 2-1 for Yorkton with a power play goal assisted by LeSann.
LeSann extended Yorkton's lead with a short handed goal assisted by Gervais and Park.
Kreklewich who turned in a hat trick in the second period led off second period scoring assisted by Kayter and Devin McGonigal. He followed up with a power play marker assisted by McGonigal and Kayter.
Odgers chipped in his second goal of the game, Yorkton's sixth, assisted by LeSann and Lees.
Kreklewich launched his third goal of the game, a power play marker assisted by Kayter and McGonigal.
Kihisis Derocher scored for the Stars to send the teams to the dressing rooms after 40 minutes with the Harvest leading 7-2.
Danczak capped the scoring for the Battlefords Stars with a power play goal early in the third period.
McGonigal slipped the puck by Battleford net minder Blair Mahon for Yorkton's eighth goal, a power play marker, assisted by Nicholas Pouliot and Korwin Shewchuk.
Pouliot capped the scoring in the game assisted by Gervais and Pastachak.
The win lifted the Harvest into a tie with the Regina Pat Canadians in SMAAAHL standings and served notice on the league that the Yorkton Harvest promised a different season in the new year.
