The Yorkton Terriers opened a three game week on the road and wrapped up the year with a pair of wins at home.
The Notre Dame Hounds handed the Terriers a loss to open the week with a 4-2 win at the Duncan McNeil Arena Tuesday night.
Following a scoreless opening frame, the Yorkton Terriers jumped out to a two goal lead with two quick powerplay goals by Tyler Geibel early in the second period. Brent Struble and Zak Majkowski claimed assists on Geibel's first goal while Kelly Lessmeister and Tayler Thompson assisted on his second.
Carson Grolla pulled Notre Dame within one with a power play marker to give Yorkton a narrow 2-1 lead after two periods.
Three quick third period goals lifted the Hounds to a 4-2come-from-behind win over the Terriers with goals from Todd Christian, Stephen Hiff and Greg Fergusson.
The Terriers pulled things together to down the visiting Nipawin Hawks 3-2 at home Friday night.
Dan Szerlip opened the scoring for the Hawks early in the first period to give Nipawin a brief one goal lead.
Jeremy Johnson tied the game a little past the halfway point in the period assisted by Lessmeister to leave the teams knotted at one after 20 minutes of play.
Jesse Bernard opened second period scoring to hand the Hawks another one goal margin.
Riley Paterson tied the game late in the period assisted by Jamie Vlanich and Kyle McLeod.
Curtis Oliver notched the game winner at 13:49 of the third period to hand the Terriers a 3-2 win.
Yorkton Terrier head coach Trent Cassan says the Terriers had a chance to put the game away in Wilcox Tuesday night but failed to do so. The Terriers held the lead for two periods on a pair of power play goals. The Hounds came hard in the third period scoring three quick goals, Cassan reports. "They just outplayed us in the third period and that was the difference in the game," he admits.
He thinks the Terrier penalty kill was strong Friday. "Obviously you know you have to kill off two five-on-threes.
That's a pretty tough thing to do and we were able to kill them off," he points out.
The Terriers were aggressive in the game, at times perhaps too aggressive, Cassan suggests. "You know guys play with intensity and whatnot and sometimes you're close to the edge and take penalties," he explains.
A goaltender is usually a team's best penalty killer and Warren Shymko was, Cassan states.
"Going into the last game at home before Christmas we want to go into the break on a good note," Cassan closes.
Saturday night was payback time for the Yorkton Terriers as they shutout the visiting Notre Dame Hounds 5-0 in the final home game of 2011.
Oliver, who scored the final, winning goal Friday night, opened the scoring for Yorkton with a power play goal early in the first period assisted by Devon McMullen and Brady Norrish.
Norrish popped in Yorkton's second goal assisted by Majkowski and McMullen to give Yorkton a two goal lead after 20 minutes.
Giebel scored the lone goal of the second period to make 3-0 for Yorkton assisted by Struble and Majkowski.
John Odgers notched Yorkton's fourth goal to open third period scoring assisted by Chase Norrish and Majkowski.
Ryon Sookro capped the game scoring with the last Terrier power play goal of 2011 assisted by McMullen and Lessmeister.
Terrier net minder Kale Thomson earned the shutout turning aside 22 shots by the Notre Dame Hounds.
The double win to wrap up the year puts the Yorkton Terriers in third place in the SJHL Sherwood Conference standings, one point behind the second place Estevan Bruins.
