The Yorkton Terriers and Melville Millionaires matched up at the Farrell Agencies Arena Sunday, the first game after the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League Christmas break for both clubs.
The home team out shot the visitors 16-7 in the first period but trailed 1-0 as Millionaire Brennan Ritchie scored the only goal of the period.
Allan Kilback would notch two in the second frame for Melville, but the Terriers responded with goals by Chase Norrish, Patrick Martens and Austin Bourhis.
Daniel Orsborn gave the Mills a 4-3 lead 6:18 into the third period.
Norrish was back to knot the game at 4-4 with a short-handed marker 14:58 into the third.
The game stayed tied through regulation.
In the five-minute, four-on-four Martens took a four-minute high sticking penalty eight-seconds in which put Yorkton in a short-handed position.
But 10-seconds later it was Norrish who broke out of the Terrier end, sped down the ice and across in front of Alex Wakaluk to score his hat trick marker, and second short-handed goal of the game to give Yorkton a 5-4 edge. The shot was the Terrier's 46th of the night.
Kale Thomson was in the Terrier net for the win facing 23-shots.
Norrish, who had only two goals on the season going into the game, admitted hat tricks are rare for him. When asked about his last one, he thought a moment before replying, "probably back in Bantam I guess.'D-men' don't do that too often."
Asked what the secret was Sunday, Norrish quickly shared the glory of the moment.
"It wasn't just me," he said, noting his teammates were a big part of what he accomplished. He added it was night things went his way. "Everything I did seemed to work out. The puck seemed to go where I wanted it to."
On the overtime winner Norrish said the puck came his way on a scramble after the face off. He chipped it up the boards and the Melville defenceman was pinching, allowing him to get away.
"I went as hard as I could," he said, adding on the shot he was concentrating on at least getting it on net.
Norrish said Wakaluk played a great game, so on his winner "I had to get him moving," and once he did he got off his shot. "It worked out pretty well for me."
Norrish said while they were coming off an extended break, they were ready for the game.
"We had two pretty good practices before the game," he said, adding the sessions got the team's feet moving and some of the Christmas rust off.
Terrier head coach Trent Cassan, who only returned to Yorkton Sunday afternoon from the Mac's Midget Tournament in Calgary, credited assistant coach Casey O'Brien with getting the team ready. He said O'Brien was able to get the Terriers in shape, but still had the energy to compete.
As for the win, Norrish said, "it was huge for us," adding the Terriers wanted to get on a roll they started before the Christmas break.
Cassan said while the Terriers were behind at times through the game, he liked the way his team stayed positive and worked hard for the comeback.
"They knew they were getting chances," adding they realized "if we stayed the course" the goals were likely to come.
Cassan added the win was fueled "by a couple of unbelievable efforts by Chase (Norrish)." He said even as a coach he found himself getting into the short-handed goals. " It was pretty fun to watch."
The short-handed goals were certainly a result of speed. Cassan said Chase Norrish, his brother Brady and Devon McMullen certainly provide that from the back-end for the Terriers.
The win raised the Terrier season record to 25-8-0-1 good enough for 51 points and top spot in the SJHL Sherwood Conference.
Notre Dame sits second with 45 points, followed by Melville with 42.
Kindersley is fourth with 29, followed by Estevan with 26 and Weyburn with 22.
Up next
The Terriers were scheduled to play in Melville New Year's Day, but results were not available at press time.
Sunday night Cassan said he was certainly expecting a tight game in Melville.
(It'll) "probably be a one goal game and overtime," he said, adding the teams have gone that route four times so far this season.
Yorkton hosts Humboldt Friday at the Farrell Agencies Arena.
Tuesday the Terriers head to Wilcox to play the Hounds.
