After an outstanding 17-0-1 record throughout the regular-season, the Yorkton atom Xerox AA Terriers wrapped up their year with a Â鶹´«Ã½AV East Minor Hockey League championship.
"We had a great year with the kids working really hard," said Terriers head coach Ryan Hoffman. "Right from the start of the year the kids played hard every game and earned their wins."
The Terriers' success was expected with the group possessing elite talent, confidence, experience, and a great attitude.
"We knew going in that we had a great shot at winning league," said Hoffman. "We had a really talented group of kids. We had some strong skaters and players with good hockey instincts. Our age also helped us; we only had three first-year players. So the majority of the team went into the year knowing what to expect. And the kids worked well together and put the team first."
In their first playoff matchup, the Terriers squared off against the Estevan Gem Well Bruins, who broke their perfect season record with a 2-2 tie in November. Yorkton made no mistake in the series, sweeping the Bruins with 6-3 and 7-2 wins.
"Even though Estevan didn't have the greatest record, they probably gave us the most trouble in our league during the season," said Hoffman. "We preached going into the series that we can't undestimate them. We worked hard throughout the series and earned the win. I was very happy with how everyone competed."
The Terriers took on the Weyburn Panther Drilling Wings in the championship. Following a 7-1 victory in the first game of the series, Yorkton won 5-3 in the second contest to secure a championship banner.
"We knew going in that Weyburn had two really strong players and we did a pretty good job of containing them," said Hoffman. "The team worked really hard and followed through with our game plan. They competed well and just outplayed Weyburn. They earned everything they got."
Sitting atop of their four-team league, which consists of Weyburn, Estevan, Moosomin, and of course, Yorkton, has become business as usual for the atom AA Terriers. The program has won five out of last six league championships.
"The atom program has really put together some strong teams," said Hoffman. "They have really developed a good reputation in the league."
