A combination of depth and talent ultimately lifted the Yorkton bantam DR Auto Extras Terriers to a provincial banner this season.
"We had a really strong group this year," said Terriers head coach Grant Ottenbreit. "They had the talent and the work ethic. We had a big group, too. Our team had 20 players. That gave us a lot of players to work with and we were always in good shape if someone couldn't make it to a game or got sick."
In their first-round matchup against Swift Current, the Terriers controlled the series from start to finish, winning the first game 5-0 and the second 2-0.
"We played really well against Swift Current," said Ottenbreit. "Winning the first game gave us some momentum and we were able to pull off game 2."
The Terriers' second opponent, Estevan, was a much tougher series. Yorkton took the first contest 4-2, but fell 4-3 in the second one. With the total-point series tied, the two clubs went into a next-goal-wins scenario after game 2 ended. In exciting fashion, Yorkton struck first, advancing to the final.
"It was a close series," said Ottenbreit. "Every goal meant a lot. You couldn't afford to make mistakes."
In the championship series against Battlefords, Yorkton practically sealed their banner fate after a commanding 7-1 win in the first contest. It gave them a six-point cushion in the total-point series heading into game 2. The second match was much closer, but ended in a 4-4 tie, anointing the Terriers bantam provincial A champions.
"The Battlefords were a tough and physical team, but that big win in game 1 really put us in control of the series," said Ottenbreit.
Although winning never gets old, brining home provincial banners has almost become business as usual for the bantam program.
"We've won a couple years in a row," said Ottenbreit. "This team seems to be strong every year. There are a lot of good players coming out of Yorkton."
