The Yorkton RawTec Maulers find themselves at one game apiece with Regina in their best-of-five series.
Game one of the Saskatchewan AAA Midget League series was played Saturday in Regina.
The Pat Canadians, first overall through the regular season, took the lead when Taylor Halbegewachs scored with only 31-seconds left in the first period.
Matthew Culling made it 2-0 59-seconds into the second frame with a powerplay marker.
At 3:43 Austin Dycer put Yorkton on the board with a goal to make it 2-1, a score which held until the third period.
The Pat Canadians would add three in the third period; Jaydon Dureau, Cullinng with his second, and Halbegewachs also his second, this one into an empty net.
The Maulers would muster only one response in the third, a goal by Jackson Berezowski with 1:24 left in the contest, leaving Regina with a 5-2 win.
According to the league website, Nathan Moore faced only 11-shots in backstopping Regina to the win.
Jordan Schmuland faced 29 in the Yorkton net.
The teams went at it again Monday, this time on the Farrell Agencies Arena ice in Yorkton.
Taylor Halbegwewachs gave the visiting Pat Canadians a 1-0 lead 3:19 into the game.
Reid Arnold would get that one back for Yorkton on the powerplay at 16:23, and then with 47 seconds left in the frame Aiden Bulych gave the home side a 2-1 lead. The two Yorkton goals came in a period where they recorded only four-shots.
Parker Hendren tied the game for Regina 3:18 into the second, and then the defences dug in. The Pat Canadian goal would be the only marker of the second period.
The third period would come, and go without a goal to decide the game.
The teams played a 10-minute fourth period after only a three-minute break, and again there was no deciding goal.
After a full intermission and ice clean, the teams headed into the fifth period where Jackson Berezowski finally potted the game-winner for Yorkton on the powerplay to even the series.
Dakota Berezowski was the winning netminder for Yorkton, facing 42-shots, while Jared Thompson started the game for Regina and was relieved by Nathan Moore after 20-minutes of action.
Mauler assistant coach Jason Gordon said the win Monday was huge and also part of the plan in the sense of how they saw the series unfolding.
鈥淲e want to win on home ice, and then steal one on theirs,鈥� he said.
While outshot throughout the game, Gordon said it was a win that was typical of the Maulers approach.
鈥淥ur motto is everybody has to contribute,鈥� he said, adding that was the approach Monday where players were blocking shots and work ing hard every shift to give themselves a chance to win.
A key was not allowing Regina a powerplay goal.
Gordon said Regina has 鈥渁 deadly powerplay鈥�, but added 鈥渨e made some adjustments on the penalty kill and they worked.鈥�
And of course Dakota Berezowski was a key in goal too.
Gordon said Berezowski had a tremendous game, noting he is a hometown player who has had success at the local arena at other levels of play, and that continued Monday.
The win is one Gordon said the team will look to build on in game three. He noted the Maulers were in game one in Regina, and Monday鈥檚 win is a confidence builder to get the steal they need to win the series.
Upcoming
Game three on the best-of-five series in scheduled to be played in Regina tonight, (Wednesday).
Game four, if necessary will be at the Farrell Agencies Arena Friday, with an 8:15 game start.
Game five, again if necessary, will be played Sunday afternoon in Regina.
