The Yorkton Bantam UCT Terriers were back in action less than a week after a tough 4-2 loss to the Estevan Bruins. This time the opponent, and victim, was the Â鶹´«Ã½AV Division bottom-dwelling and winless Notre Dame Hounds at the Yorkton Kinsmen Arena.
Carson Miller led the Terriers attack with two goals and three assists to give him 27 goals and 37 assists for 64 points in just 26 games, one point back of league leader Dawson Holt of the Saskatoon Generals.
Carson Welke, Brett Kemp and Kaeden Taphorn also scored two goals for the UCT Terriers, while Luke Schappert, Keenan Taphorn and Cody Dubas picked up singles in the 11-4 victory.
Yorkton opened the scoring very early on in the first period. Kaeden Taphorn deftly tapped the puck past Notre Dame goaltender Brett Akins for a 1-0 lead just 22 seconds into the game for his 13th goal of the season.
The Hounds managed to tie the game up midway through the period via the man advantage. With Carson Welke in the box and time running out on the powerplay, Notre Dame's John Mercier beat Terriers netminder Austin Hilderman to make it 1-1.
The Terriers would respond with a powerplay goal of their own just minutes later as Cody Dubas' blast eluded Akins' pads to make it 2-1 for Yorkton
Carson Welke would atone for his earlier penalty that ultimately cost his team a goal with his 20th of the season to make it 3-1 after 20 minutes of play.
Brett Kemp's fifth of the year made it 4-1 Yorkton with 17:05 left in the second, but an unassisted goal by William Trarback brought the visiting Hounds to within two.
Yorkton regained its three goal lead seven seconds later however, as Miller won the faceoff and found Keenan Taphorn who made no mistake for his 21st of the season to make it 5-2.
The UCT Terriers high powered offence would officially put the game out of reach throughout the rest of the second period with Miller picking up two goals while Schappert and Kemp each scored one.
The two teams traded goals twice in the third period with Notre Dame's Marshall Porteous and Justyn Noltcho-Clarke finding the back of the net for the visitors while Kaeden Taphorn and Carson Welke did the same for the Terriers. The offence, however, was not the talking point of the game.
Instead it was the amount of penalties that the Terriers received in the second and third periods that caused them play shorthanded for 20 of the final 40 minutes; what amounts to an entire period. Something that UCT Terriers head coach Graham Garrett says has happened before. "That's the way we've had a lot of our games this year," said Garrett. "That's how they (the refs) try to control the situation, by putting us in the penalty box to make sure everybody goes home safe I guess."
Despite all of the penalties, Yorkton had 12 minors in total and one misconduct, Garrett feels his team put forth yet another solid effort; a trend that his team has been on since Christmas break. "We've played 60 minutes hard since Christmas. I can't complain with the way our guys have played all year.
"When the playoffs come around we just have to be able to step it up once again."
Next action
The next action for the Yorkton Bantam UCT Terriers (21-5-1) will be this Saturday when they host the West Central Wheat Kings (5-19-2) for a 5:30p.m. start.
