The Yorkton Terriers have slipped to second place in the Viterra Division of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League, following a shootout road loss in Nipawin Saturday.
The Terriers sit with 22 points based on a 10-4-1-1 record, three points back of rival Melville. Estevan sits a close third with 19-points, while Weyburn has a league-worst 11.
In the Terriers one game over the weekend it was a close contest against the host Hawks.
Tad Kozun opened the scoring getting a powerplay goal for the hometown Hawks 15:40 into the game.
Michael Lambert made it 2-0 2:16 later, a margin which would hold through the first period.
Cortlan Proctor put the Terriers on the board 3:25 into the second, with Josh Ellis knotting the game at two with a powerplay marker at the 9:20 mark of the second.
Maxim Powiada gave the Hawks a 3-2 edge 5:12 into the third.
But again the Terriers tied it on a goal by Brady Norrish at 15:08.
The game would stay tied 3-3 through regulation time, forcing a five-minute, extra frame of four-on-four hockey, an extra frame that proved nothing.
The teams would go to the shootout where it would take four shooters apiece before Mitch Doell would score the winner for Nipawin.
Kale Thomson would take the loss in the Terrier net after facing 49-shots, plus four in the shoot-out.
Steven Glass earned the win for the Hawks facing 51-plus-four.
General Manager Don Chesney was behind the bench in Nipawin as Terrier coaches Trent Cassan and Casey O'Brien were away with elite program commitments. He said the game saw a lot of shots, in part because "it's a smaller ice surface and smaller rink."
As a result, "it was a pretty good game to watch for a fan. It was back-and-forth, back-and-forth," he said.
Chesney said the Terriers played a good road game climbing back from a two-goal deficit, then getting one late to force overtime.
"In overtime I thought we had a couple of good chances," he said, adding once into a shootout anybody can win.
Chesney said as GM getting on the bench was good since it gave him a closer look at the team as some tough decisions must be made by month's end with a team able to card only 25 players a season.
"I was looking to see which guys really want to play," he said.
In general terms Chesney said he liked what he saw from the newest Terriers, such as Jordan Ross topping the team in goals. He said they knew he had an offensive upside. That is why they kept the under-age forward.
Seeing Proctor get his first goal was also big.
"He played a lot better after that," said Chesney, adding with young players you have to allow the time to get into Junior hockey mode. "Some of these guys have only played 16 (Junior) games."
Up next
The Terriers head to LaRonge to face the Ice Wolves for action Thursday and Friday.
Sunday the Terriers host Kindersley (see related story this paper).
