The Yorkton Kinsmen Terriers are in tough in the 麻豆传媒AV Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League AA Midget Division final.
The Regina Rangers visited the Farrell Agencies Arena on Mar. 15 for game one of the best-of-five, where it took only 13-seconds for Regina to grab the lead when Adam Kydd scored an unassisted goal.
Massen Ziola would respond for Yorkton to send the teams to the dressing room tied 1-1 through 20-minutes of play.
Colby Vrani would give the Terriers a 2-1 lead with a powerplay marker which proved the only goal of the second period.
In the third period it would be all Terriers.
Ziola and Vranai both scored their second goals of the night, with singles by Josh Peppler and Dreyden Haberman rounding out a 6-1 Terrier victory.
Cole Johnston took the loss in the Ranger net, with Spencer Welke earning the win for Yorkton.
鈥淕ame one I thought we struggled a bit in the first, which is kind of a trend for us as we go along this season,鈥� said head coach Brad Haberman.
But the Terriers played better in the second, and finally pulled away in the third.
Game two
The Terriers were in Regina on Mar. 18 for the second game in the series, with Regina jumping out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Kyle Bitschy and Brayden Lovas, before Massen Ziola put Yorkton on the board at 18:08 of the first period.
The Rangers added to the lead with the only goal of the second period, a short-handed effort from Jervahn Malabre-Gyorfi.
In the third Noah Kuntz notched the only goal of the frame, an unassisted, short-handed goal into an empty net to round out a 4-1 win for the home ice Rangers.
Spencer Welke was in net for Yorkton to take the loss, while Reece Hodson recorded the win for the Rangers.
鈥淕ame two we were poor from start to finish. There was not much effort from top to bottom 鈥� not much competitive level,鈥� said Haberman, adding when it came to a battle for the puck 鈥渢here was not much effort to get it. We weren鈥檛 willing to pay the price.鈥�
Haberman said it was disappointing in the sense the Terriers had ended an 11-game win streak for the Rangers in game one, and had they managed a win Sunday they would have been in the driver鈥檚 seat for the series.
鈥淲e had an opportunity to take a strangle hold,鈥� he said.
Now it鈥檚 down to a best-of-three, and Haberman said his veterans have to step up in the next games because they are becoming a battered team.
After losing Ethan Evanovich for the season in their previous series against Notre Dame, then Josh Herman went down in game one against Regina and is out for the season. Sunday Carson Haberman left the game and is done for the remainder of the playoffs.
鈥淥ur veteran guys have got to step up and take leadership,鈥� said the Yorkton coach, who said affiliated player call-ups have played solid hockey, but 鈥渢he speed is a little higher, the tempo a little higher鈥� so it takes some time to adjust to the AA game.
Up next
Game three of the best-of-five is scheduled for the Farrell Agencies Arena (FAA), Thursday, Mar. 22, at 8 p.m.
If necessary Yorkton will travel to Regina on Mar. 24 for game four, with game five, if needed, at 4 p.m. on Mar. 25 at the FAA.
