The Yorkton Kinsmen Terriers won their final two regular season games to secure top spot in the Midget Division of the 麻豆传媒AV Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League.
The Terriers finished the season with a record of 25-7-2-0 for 54 points, three-points better than the Regina Rangers.
The playoffs started last night at the Farrell Agencies Arena (but results were not available at press time). They hosted Lumsden/Bethune, who finished eighth in the league with 35 points.
Going into the best of five, Yorkton looks to hold a definite edge having scored 176 goals through the regular season compared to only 135 for the Lumsden/Bethune Lions. Yorkton has allowed only 83 goals, while the Lions have given up 143.
Terrier coach Brad Haberman said the Lions actually started the regular season well, then ran into sickness and injuries in December and January, which hurt them in the standings. With that in mind, he said his team has to be ready.
鈥淔irst or eighth it doesn鈥檛 really matter,鈥� he said, adding the Lions are fast, rugged, and play well at home.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e tough to play in their rink,鈥� said Haberman, adding it helps them that 鈥渢hey get some pretty good crowds.鈥�
In that regard, it might well be a home ice dominated game.
The Terriers also like home ice, with only a couple of losses at the Farrell Agencies Arena this season.
Haberman said his team likes the routine of home ice.
鈥淵ou never have bus issues, you get to the rink at the same time. It鈥檚 just the comfort of being in our own rink,鈥� he said.
With game one last night, the series will switch to the Lions barn Thursday, with game three in Yorkton at 7:30 Saturday. Game four, if necessary, will be in the Lions barn and game five here Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 5 p.m..
Regina action
On Feb. 14, the Terriers were in Regina to face the Vics.
Yorkton hit the board first when Josh Peppler scored a short-handed effort seven minutes into the game.
A powerplay goal by Colbt Vrani made it 2-0 before Kyle Colwell replied for the Vics late in the first.
Massen Ziola and Peyton Shewchuk scored the only goals of the second period to give Yorkton a 4-1 lead.
Noah Flaman and Lucas Dureau scored in the first half of the third period to put the Vic back in the game at 4-3, before Shewchuk, and Peppler, his unassisted effort, salted away a 6-3 Terrier win.
Spencer Welke was in the Yorkton net for the win, while Brad Sentes took the loss for the Vics.
Haberman said after holding a 4-1 lead, the Terriers eased up early in the third.
鈥淲e took the foot off the gas to start the third, they got a couple of quick goals,鈥� he said, adding he took his time out, and the team settled down to get a couple of goals back to take the win.
A night later, the Terriers hosted Prairie Storm Extreme Hockey at the Farrell Agencies Arena.
Yorkton took a lead 3:56 into the game when Michael Coleridge scored the only goal of the first period.
In the second, Ashton Shewchuk, Josh Herman, Massen Ziola, Dreyden Haberman, and Josh Peppler all scored to give the Terriers a 6-0 lead.
Bryce Cockwill finally got the Storm on the board with 28-secons left in the second.
Ashton Shewchuk added one in the third for Yorkton, and Cockwill responded with one for the Storm to round out a 7-2 win.
Caelan Armstrong was tagged with the loss in the Storm net, while Graham Buckle backstopped the Terriers to the win.
Haberman said he wanted a complete game out of his team against the Storm.
鈥淚 challenged my kids to a complete 60-minute effort, and I think that game we really did it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e basically controlled the play start to finish.鈥�
