SJHL schedule makers this season gave the Terriers a lump of coal for Christmas as the SJHL's top team has had it's toughest string of opponents to date to start out the post-Christmas stretch. With the annual New Years series with the Millionaires then a home game with the defending champion and Bauer Division contenders in the Humboldt Broncos finished off with a meeting with second place Notre Dame on the road, the Terriers have been kept busy in the opening two weeks of January.
With a loss to the Millionaires on New Years Day the Terriers were looking to prevent a losing streak when they hosted the red hot Humboldt Broncos Friday night. Led by the hottest goalie in the league in Matt Hrynkiw and posting the league's best numbers in the goals against category the Broncos were heading into the FAA riding high in what could be a preview of the SJHL final come spring. Humboldt struck first as Adam Zbitniff scored for the Broncos in the lone goal of the first period. Patrick Martens tied it up off assists from Zak Majkowski and Chase Norrish midway through the second, but Humboldt scored two unanswered goals that unfortunately squeaked through the legs of Kale Thomson before Majkowski scored one of his own to send it into the third period with a 3-2 Broncos lead.
Austin Bourhis continued his impressive offensive spurt as of late with the game tying goal off a pinch from the blueline that put things even at three goals apiece. Bourhis has been playing well as of late and staying out of the penalty box, crediting his recent success to, "Just playing disciplined and trying to stay out of the penalty box and keep my mouth shut to the officials and playing confident hockey to help my team win." The Terriers dominated the third period and much of the second, but Hrynkiw proved to be the difference maker for the Broncos as his 1.75 GAA shows in coming up with big save after big save in taking the game to overtime. In the shootout all three shooters on both teams were stopped by Hrynkiw and Thomson until Humboldt's Kameren Ballas potted home the winner for a 4-3 shootout victory and the Terriers second straight loss.
Head coach Trent Cassan preached patience throughout the stretch saying, "There are a lot of games left, and we do play (the Hounds) four times in the next two months and other than getting some nice separation in the standings, these games are no more important than any other for us right now."
Dakota Odgers got plenty of ice time against Humboldt, including down the stretch of the tied game, recording a scoring chance and a fight at the end of the second period in a strong weekend of hockey between the Terriers and Harvest. Cassan had praise for Odgers and mentioned having an older brother on the team in John and being friends with many of the players on the roster helps when he does get called up to the team. Cassan also praised Bourhis' play of late and his +14 plus/minus in December saying, "He is a great veteran defender for our team and plays the game with a lot of emotion and can be counted on to make a big play when it is needed."
After being forced to settle for a point on Friday, the Terriers travelled down to Wilcox to take on the Hounds in what was an anticipated rematch between the two teams who treated Yorkton fans to a classic meeting before Christmas that featured plenty of physical play and highlights that ended with a Terrier victory. The Hounds were looking to repeat their home success as they won the only game in Wilcox to date and stuck first with Catlin Foley putting the Hounds up just 39 seconds into the game.
Captain Devon McMullen gave the Terriers a quick opening goal of their own in the second period scoring just 37 seconds in before Dylan Baer scored his first of the year in what was yet another strong offensive performance from the Terriers loaded blueline. Jeremy Johnson put in his seventeenth of the year to make it 3-1 before Dion Antsin scored for the Hounds to make it 3-2 heading into the third. Nathan Murray put it away for the Terriers with an unassisted goal and an empty netter to make it a 5-3 Terriers victory and pushed their record to 2-1 over the Hounds this season.
Kale Thomson earned his second straight start in goal on Tuesday and made all the saves required to win in a 20 save performance, bumping his record to a now impressive 16-4-2 this season. Notre Dame will get another crack at the Terriers in two weeks as they host them once again in Wilcox on January 19.
The Terriers will continue their road trip this weekend with a trip up north to face the La Ronge Ice Wolves Friday and the Nipawin Hawks Saturday before returning home to the friendly confines of the FAA to take on the Ice Wolves on Thursday. A busy schedule that sees the Terriers play eight more games of their final sixteen in a two and a half week stretch. Sixteen games are left in the SJHL regular season and the Terriers still have a stranglehold on first place. It is early, but with each passing week it is feeling more and more like this year has the makings of something special.
