The Yorkton RawTec Maulers are headed to the playoffs where they will take on the Regina Pat Canadians in the opening round.
The playoff picture solidified after the AAA Midget Maulers managed only one win in three outings in the past week, leaving Yorkton seventh in their league.
The Maulers have a record of 19-19-2-3 for 43 points, five points up on the Saskatoon Blazers and three points back of the Saskatoon Contacts.
The Notre Dame Hounds lead the loop with 39 wins and 81 points, followed by Regina, 10 points back, Prince Albert, Tisdale, and Swift Current.
The Maulers were in the City of Bridges Sunday to face the Contacts in a game which would feature lots of goals from both teams.
The first period would end 1-1 after Jackson Berezowski scored for Yorkton, and Tristan Shewchuck tied the game on the powerplay for the Contacts.
In the second, the Maulers struck for five goals against one reply by Saskatoon.
Beau Stevenson, Ryder Pierson, and Keanan Sperling with two, all scored for Yorkton before Jarrett Penner put one in the twine for the home team. Rylan Donald then added Yorkton鈥檚 sixth goal of the game with 3:52 remaining in the second.
The Contacts came back in the third, with Jack Michell scoring an unassisted powerplay marker 2:05 into the third, then Caleb Cherry added a pair to make it 6-5, before Reid Arnold added a powerplay marker for Yorkton to round out a 7-5 win.
The goaltender stats for the game were not listed on the league website.
Mauler head coach Kevin Rawlick said the game in Saskatoon was a good one for the team.
鈥淚 was happy with the way we bounced back,鈥� he said, adding they needed to get back to winning as the playoffs loomed.
The Maulers were scheduled to play a make-up game from Jan. 17, last night, Tuesday in Regina. While results were not available at press time the game would not have an effect on the standings.
Rawlick said Monday it would be a big game in terms of 鈥渕indset going into the playoffs.鈥�
Rawlick said he was focusing attention of his team playing very disciplined against Regina, and to seeing how some penalty kill adjustments worked, adding the Pat Canadian powerplay 鈥渋s absolutely lethal.鈥�
The series between Yorkton and Regina will be a best-of-five affair with Yorkton hosting game two Monday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the Farrell Agencies Arena.
Saturday action
On Feb. 17 the Maulers were at the Willow Cree Memorial Sport Centre to take on the Beardys Blackhawks.
The host Hawks took the lead 1:32 into the game on a goal by Nolan Doell, and were up 2-0 at midway mark of the frame when Boston Bird scored.
Keanen Sperling cut the host鈥檚 lead in half with a powerplay marker for Yorkton at the 15:12 mark.
Yorkton would take the lead through 40-minutes as the Maulers scored the only goals of the second period with goals by Beau Stevenson and Ryder Pierson for a 3-2 lead.
Griffen Ryden, and Bird with his second of the game bounced the Blackhawks into a 4-3 lead.
The Maulers tied the game on Pierson鈥檚 second of the game, a powerplay effort.
With 4:13 remaining in the game Ryden would score his second of the game for Beardys to give the Hawks back a one-goal margin.
Doell would score his second of the game into an empty net for the home team to round out a 6-4 win.
Kobey Clarke backstopped Beardys to the win facing 52-shots, while Jordan Schmuland took the loss for Yorkton facing 45.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 a pretty game,鈥� said Rawlick, who said both teams were off their games defensively.
Valentine鈥檚 action
The Maulers were in Wilcox last Wednesday to face the Notre Dame Argos, where Yorkton jumped out to an early lead as Ryder Pierson score 2:01 into the contest.
It was a short-lived lead as Jackson Russell potted an unassisted goal for the Argos only 59-sconds later.
Pierson would score his second on the game, before Jayce Nikbakht tied the game on the powerplay sending the teams to the dressing rooms deadlocked 2-2 after 20-minutes.
In the second, the home team Argos would jump to the lead as Jacob Robinson and Keaton Sorenson both scored powerplay goals to make it 4-2.
Jordan Repsch would get the Maulers to within one midway through the third, but another Argo powerplay goal, this one by Aidan Strangeway would salt away a 5-3 win for Notre Dame.
Bryan Thomson would face 22 shots in the Argo net for the win, while Jordan Schmuland took the loss for Yorkton facing 44.
