While the Yorkton Harvest were breaking for Christmas, Turner Ottenbreit was getting some valuable WHL regular season ice time. A chance to play at a higher level during a stretch where the 1997 born Ottenbreit played seven games for the Blades over December/January stretch before returning to the Harvest.
This weekend as the team looked to start 2014 in the win column after a slump to head into the holiday break, Ottenbreit had a sensational weekend.
While the 6'2" defenseman may not have scored his first WHL goal during his stay, it appeared that the return to Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League opened up the ice for Ottenbreit as he scored three goals over the weekend for the Harvest as they visited the Beardy's Blackhawks Friday before travelling to Saskatoon to take on the Blazers for a two game weekend set on Saturday and Sunday.
Two of Ottenbreit's goals couldn't have came at a better time, as the Harvest scored a needed overtime win over the Blazers to end their return to action after the Christmas break.
The weekend started off terribly for the Harvest as they failed to capitalize on a meeting with cellar dwelling Beardy's on Friday, losing 5-2 and getting outshot 37-31.
A late Brennan Watson goal to tie the game at 1-1 at the end of the first period looked as if it could be the momentum needed for the Harvest to start of 2014 with a bang, but instead goals from Asthon Wake and Connor Navrot gave the Blackhawks a 3-1 lead heading into the third.
Ottenbreit would score to start off the third and bring the Harvest within a goal, but Beardy's would seal the deal with Logan Schatz goal to push the score to 4-2. The Blackhawks would add an empty net goal before time expired to finish with a 5-2 win.
Travelling to Saskatoon the following day to take on the Blazers, the Harvest came out flying to a 2-0 lead to start off their two game set in the Bridge City.
Goals from Jaden Kreklewich and Tanner Jeannot had all the momentum going to the visitors from Yorkton early, but the Blazers would answer back with two of their own to spin the game into the direction of the hosts before intermission.
The two Blazers first period goals appeared to be the turning point of the game, as the Blazers ended up winning in a rout by beating Yorkton 7-3 on a day that goalie Carson Bogdan would likely wish to forget about sooner rather than later.
Sunday marked a final chance to end the weekend with a win to build upon, and once again with the tone likely set by head coach Dan Cross that Sunday was a must win game for the struggling team came out with an emphasis at grabbing the early lead with a hot start.
The Harvest would get assisted by the Blazers, plenty of chances on the powerplay early in the Sunday matinee. Yorkton would take advantage of the man advantages early, getting their first goal of the game from Damian Bentz under five minutes into the game on the powerplay off of assists from Adam Niebrandt and Tyler Kreklewich.
The powerplay goals wouldn't stop as the Harvest would get one more on the man advantage before the intermission as their top blueliner stepped up with his sixth goal of the season as Ottenbreit slotted home the second goal of the night off of an assist from Corwin Stevely.
That powerplay prowess would continue into the second period, when again Ottenbreit would get insurance on the Harvest lead with his second goal of the game to put Yorkton up 3-0 over the Blazers. Once again, Ottenbreit was set up by Corwin Stevely before banging in a goal past Austin Swystun.
With a 3-0 lead, the Harvest looked like they were off to a regulation win. However the Blazers weren't going to go down easy. A goal with two minutes left in the second period from Nick Lenius to put the Blazers within two goals was followed up with an extremely late goal to put the hosts back within one with just :38 left on the clock in the period to change the story of the game with the Blazers going from three down, to trailing just 3-2 within the final two minutes of the second period.
Shane Sherban was the culprit for the Blazers momentum shifting goal, scoring just his second goal of the season on an assist from Liam Maley as the home team got a huge goal from an unlikely candidate to get back into the game. In the third period it would be an untimely penalty for the Harvest that would once again cost them in a familiar theme for the 2013/14 Harvest squad. Their only penalty in the third period on a tripping call assessed to Adam Neibrandt would cost them as the Blazers capitalized on the tenth powerplay of the night for the hosts. David Sheppard scored his 14th goal of 2013/14 to complete the Blazers comeback from 3-0 down and steal a point out of the game as the two teams were tied after three periods.
Needing to finish with a win and having five minutes of four on four action to do it, the Harvest found their hero with a minute left as the connection of Corwin Stevely and Turner Ottenbreit once again led the way for the Harvest to a goal. This time Stevely would be the leader, scoring the game winning goal off an assist from Ottenbreit to give the Harvest a 3-2 win and preventing the team from coming back to Yorkton with two straight blown leads to the ninth place Blazers.
The win would also keep the Blazers at bay for the final playoff spot that the Harvest are currently holding, allowing Yorkton to move to 26 points by winning their tenth game of the season. After 30 games the Harvest's record of 10 wins, 14 losses, four ties and two overtime losses is still good enough for the team to be holding a seven point cushion over the Blazers for the last spot in the SMAAAHL Playoffs with just over a month to play.
Eighth place will likely be where the Harvest will remain for the rest of the season should they hold onto the final playoff spot, at the time of writing the Saskatoon Contacts hold a four point lead over the Harvest at 30 points while holding three games at hand over Yorkton. In sixth, the Regina Pat Canadians are up eight points on the Harvest with 34 points. If the Harvest are to rise in the standings and earn a more favourable seed than the eighth seed, which would have Yorkton playing first place Prince Albert should the season end today, they will need to go on a winning streak soon.
A visit to Swift Current this weekend to play two games against the Legionnaires will offer the Harvest another opportunity to play catch up with the rest of the SMAAAHL playoff teams.
Before that chance to play the struggling Legionnaires the Harvest will face a tough test in the third place Notre Dame Argos as Yorkton continue their road trip. Notre Dame are looking for a win to attempt a vault into first place in the tight race for the league lead and will be certainly eyeing up a game against the sub .500 Harvest team as a chance to do that. If the Harvest can manage to pull off an upset heading into the weekend, it could be stolen points to build upon towards a push up the standings. If the Harvest want to accomplish that goal, winning streaks will need to start becoming more common.
