The Yorkton Kinsmen Terriers of the SSMHL Midget Division took a 6-1-0 record into action this weekend.
However they managed just one win in three games, yet are still in first place overall with a 7-3-0 record and 14 points in the 14-team SSMHL midget league.
The Prairie Storm sit second with 12 points and a 6-1-0 record, while the Regina Rangers (4-2-3) and Estevan Apex Bruins (5-4-1) are tied for third place with 11 points.
Dog fight
The Kinsmen Terriers opened the weekend with a disappointing 6-5 loss to the Notre Dame Bantam Hounds, a bantam AAA team that plays in the AA league.
Yorkton opened the scoring when Josh Rohatynsky beat Bantam Hounds netminder Jordan Schmuland with a weak, fluttering shot while being hauled down from behind to make it 1-0 Terriers with 9:28 remaining in the period.
But exactly two minutes later at 7:28 the Bantam Hounds responded when Zach Kosteniuk found a chink in the armour of Alex Geddes on the powerplay to make it 1-1.
Kosteniuk would beat Geddes again for his second goal of the period with 3:34 remaining before Dylan Soosay made it 3-1 Notre Dame just 23 seconds later to send the visitors into the locker room ahead by two.
Notre Dame's Loeden Schaufler made it 4-1 for the bantam Hounds at 12:20 of the middle frame and things looks bleak for Yorkton before the Kinsmen Terriers exploded for three goals in the final 10 minutes of the period, one each by Jarvis Gelowitz, Tayon Metzler and Grayson Neufeld, to make it a 4-4 game after 40 minutes.
With 7:22 remaining in the game the Bantam Hounds once again took the lead when Schaufler again put the puck past Geddes. But Metzler also found the net for the second time in the game with 57 seconds remaining and the net empty to tie the game at five and seemingly earn a point for the hometown Terriers.
However someone forgot to tell Notre Dame's feisty Russian import that the game was over as Kirill Tarasov answered right back for the bantam Hounds, beating Geddes while lying flat on his stomach for the game winning goal to make it a 6-5 final for the Bantam Hounds.
While the loss to the Bantam Hounds is no doubt considered an upset, Kinsmen Terrier head coach Noel Budz knew that it wasn't going to be an easy game. "We've always had troubles with the AAA bantam team. They're a very good team and they've got a lot of high end skill," said Budz. "That sixth goal, I don't know how that kid scores. It was an amazing goal. He's lying flat on his belly and somehow controls the puck and puts it in the net.
"You can never overlook those guys."
With the painful memory of a 6-5 loss to the Notre Dame Bantam Hounds in their mind, the Kinsmen Terriers took to the ice on Saturday night to battle the midget version of the Notre Dame Hounds.
The Hounds struck first late in the first period when Billy Trarback put the puck past Terrier netminder Carter Park for a 1-0 Notre Dame lead after 20 minutes.
However the Trarback marker would be the only Notre Dame goal on the night, while the Kinsmen Terriers would tally three unanswered goals, one by Rohatynsky and a pair by Metzler, to take the game 3-1 in a strong defensive effort by the Kinsmen Terriers. "Defensively as a team we played very well. We stuck to the game plan and executed well," offered Budz, continuing, "We didn't give up one shot in the third period in what we call the 75% zone, which is where most goals are scored. We didn't give up one shot there.
"We gave up a total of seven or eight shots in the third period, but they were all from just inside the blueline."
Bruised by Bruins
The Yorkton Kinsmen Terriers wrapped up their three games in three nights weekend with a road game in Estevan Sunday evening and fatigue seemed to be a problem as the Terriers were sluggish at times in a 6-2 loss to the Apex Bruins.
Yorkton's Jonah Sutter opened the scoring on the powerplay just two minutes into the game, but the hometown Bruins scored a pair of goals in each period while the Terriers could muster just one more off the stick of Caleb Sutter as Estevan skated away with a commanding 6-2 victory.
Up next
The Yorkton Kinsmen Terriers (7-3-0) have four games in four nights starting Friday, November 7 when they pay a visit to the Regina Rangers (4-2-3) for a 7:45p.m. game.
The following day the Terriers will be in Moose Jaw to play the AA Warriors (2-1-2) at 1:15p.m. followed by a Sunday night game in Wilcox against the Hounds (4-2-2) and a Monday night affair in White City against the Prairie Storm (6-1-0).
Both the Notre Dame and Prairie Storm games start at 7:30p.m.
