The Yorkton RawTec Maulers season has come to an end.
The Maulers were eliminated from the Saskatchewan AAA Midget League playoffs, dropping their best-of-five series with Regina three-games-to-one in the opening round.
Wednesday woes
The teams met in game three in Regina last Wednesday, and after a scoreless opening 20-minutes, things went the Pat Canadians鈥� way.
Taylor Halbegewachs gave Regina a lead early in the second and Parker Hendren added two more in the frame, the first on the powerplay, to make it 3-0 after 40-minutes.
In the third Sebastian Eger, Jayden Dureau, and Brayden Shaw added singles for Regina to complete a 6-0 win, and take a two games to one lead in the series.
Nathan Moore recorded the shut-out in a game where the league鈥檚 online scoresheet suggested he faced only 10-shots.
Jordan Schmuland was in the Yorkton nets for the loss facing 35.
The end of the road
The Maulers faced elimination on home ice Friday, trailing the best-of-five series, and needed a win to even the affair.
At the three-minute mark, Jackson Berezowski gave the Maulers a lead with a powerplay goal.
It would be a man advantage situation for the Pat Canadians that leveled the score 1-1, with Peyton Gorski pulling the trigger.
In the second frame Jaydon Dureau gave Regina a 2-1 lead, netting the only goal of the frame with 3:23 left on the clock.
A powerplay goal from Chase Nameth 4:47 into the third extended the Pat Canadian lead to 3-1.
Berezowski would get one back, again on the powerplay, but 3-2 was as close as Yorkton would come, and the Pat Canadians would wrap up the series three games to one.
Dakota Berezowski was tagged with the loss in the Mauler net facing 38-shots, while Nathan Moore was the winning netminder for Regina facing 21-shots.
Yorkton head coach Kevin Rawlick said while the end result was not what they hoped for, he believes the team took steps in the round.
Last season the Maulers struggled against Regina, and while the series again went to the Pat Canadians, the Yorkton coach said progress was made.
鈥淚 was very, very happy with how we responded,鈥� he said, adding it was a case of the team showing growth in various aspects of the game. As an example, 鈥渨e were more disciplined than them.鈥�
Next season Rawlick said he will look to take the team to the next level, adding lthat ittle things can help that progression.
Rawlick said the Maulers at times seemed hesitant to take shots.
鈥淚t鈥檚 something we struggled with,鈥� he admitted, adding the coaches have tried to instill that 鈥渘o shot is a bad shot.鈥�
Rawlick said that is the way Regina approaches the game, taking shots from all over. While many are perimetre shots, 鈥渢hey鈥檙e something the goalie still has to focus in on, and make the save.鈥�
Even when a save is made, there is a chance at a secondary chance off a rebound, he noted.
Beyond the series result, Rawlick said moving forward he wants to continue building the Mauler organization reputation.
鈥淚 want our program to be recognized as a premier one, not just in Saskatchewan, but across Canada,鈥� he said.
