A pair of wins over the rival Melville Millionaires has the Yorkton Terriers back atop the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Viterra Division.
The Terriers have a league-best 35 points based on a 16-5-1-2 record, for a five-point cushion on the second place Millionaires. Estevan sits third with 24 points, with Weyburn having 18.
Saturday the Terriers scored first in Melville as Tyson Enzie hit the scoresheet at 7:53.
It was a short-lived lead as Tyson Predinchuk would tie the contest with a Mills goal at 9:51.
Dalton Menke would take less than two-minutes to reestablish a one goal Terrier lead scoring at 11:42.
The 2-1 lead would hold into the second frame when John Odgers potted a goal 7:07 into the second to extend the Terrier lead to 3-1.
Predinchuk would make it 3-2 with a second Melville goal 7:13 into the third, but that would end the scoring as the Terriers would record a 3-2 win.
Kale Thomson would face 25-shots in the Terrier net for the win, while Isaiah Plett faced 41 in the loss for the Mills.
Friday it was Melville's Chris Stovall who struck 2:04 into the game with what would be the only goal of the opening frame.
Dylan Johnson would use the powerplay at 18:03 of the second frame to tie the game, a goal which also created a storm of plush toys on Teddy Bear Toss Night. The plush animals were donated to the local Salvation Army for its upcoming Christmas season campaign.
Odgers scored 2:47 into the third to give the home team its first lead of the night.
But the Mills caught a break late. Chase Norrish was in the penalty box serving a double minor, and Mills netminder Plett was on the bench for an extra attacker, as Melville found the tying goal at 18:59.
The game went to the five-minute, four-on-four overtime where Devon McMullen proved the hero scoring the game-winner for Yorkton.
Thomson faced 27-shots in the win for Yorkton, Plett 37 in the Mills' loss.
McMullen said Terrier head coach Trent Cassan didn't have a lot to say during the brief break after regulation, and before the extra five-minutes.
"He (Cassan) just said 'you did a good job of not letting that (late goal) affect you," offered McMullen.
And the Terriers remained confident.
"We had a good feeling we were going to win that one," said McMullen.
Cassan said the team reacted well to the late goal.
"When they scored to tie it there wasn't frustration, or panic on the bench," he said, adding the team has a good core of veterans who have experienced late goals against before, and instead of dwelling on it, just went back to work to get the next one.
In terms of next ones, Cassan said Odgers goal early in the third was a huge goal.
"He was just able to find that quiet areas in the high slot and get off a good hard shot," he said.
McMullen said the Terriers realized every point can be big in the SJHL.
"Getting that extra point (for the OT win) could be the difference (come season end)," he offered.
As for the goal, McMullen, who does not score a lot, said he saw a chance to move in off the blueline and the puck ended up right on his stick in close.
"It's always fun to score against them," he said.
Nov. 23
The Terriers hosted LaRonge last Wednesday.
Daylan Gatzke and Zach Zadorozniak scored less than two-minutes apart to give the Terriers a 2-0 lead that they took to the dressing room after 20-minutes of play.
Dalton Menke added what was the only goal of the second frame to make it 3-0.
The third period would see a flurry of goals starting with a powerplay marker by Yorkton's Jordan Ross 2:23 into the frame.
Eric Macoretta would finally score one for LaRonge on the powerplay 4:03 in, but Tayler Thompson would get that back for Yorkton with a powerplay marker of his own at 9:43.
Zadorozniak would add his second of the night only soon after, lighting the red light at 10:45
Landon Robin would give the Icewolves a later (12:12) powerplay goal to round out the 6-2 contest.
Riley Medves had the start in the Terrier net facing 29-shots in the win.
Tyler Fuhr took the loss for LaRonge facing 35.
Up next
The Terriers travel to Weyburn to face the Red Wings Friday, then return home to host Melfort at the Farrell Agencies Arena Saturday.
