The Yorkton Terriers clinched second place in the SJHL Sherwood Conference with a home ice win last Wednesday over the LaRonge Icewolves.
Coupled with a season-ending road win in Wilcox Saturday over the Notre Dame Hounds, the Terriers finished the regular season with a record of 33-20-2-3 for 71 points, five back of Conference champion Weyburn.
Melville finished third in the Sherwood and will face the Terriers in one of the Conference semi finals set to start the first weekend in March.
Weyburn awaits the winner of the survivor series which pits fourth place Estevan, who finished with 58-points against fifth place Notre Dame.
Kindersley finished in the Sherwood basement, and out of the playoffs.
In the clinching game against LaRonge, the Terriers took a 2-0 first period lead on goals by Riley Paterson and Ryon Sookro.
Jared Iron had the Icewolves only marker. It came in the second period, ruining Yorkton netminder Warren Shymko's shut-out bid.
Shymko would stop 27 of the 28-shots fired his way in the game.
Jeremy Johnson and affiliated call-up Tanner Lesann would add third period markers for the Terriers.
After the game, Terrier captain Paterson, who was the first star of the game, said it was the win the team had been looking for.
"It's special. We worked for this all year," he said, adding as a 20-year-old to have the first star in his final regular season home game in Junior was also satisfying."
Terrier head coach Trent Cassan said it was gratifying to sew up second place because it showed how well the team has performed all season.
"To see the effort right from the start to finish (of the season)," was what Cassan said he was proudest of. "It's been a long regular season, but a good regular season."
The finish was one Cassan said the players deserved.
"They're a good group of kids that work hard all the time," he said, adding he enjoyed watching the development of the younger players throughout the season.
In terms of the game itself, Cassan said he saw the play as a continuation of the effort the Terriers had in the second and third periods of their game against LaRonge three days earlier.
"We were moving our feet and skating well," he said, adding when they do that the Terriers can be effective.
The Terriers did have some regulars out of the line-up, but Cassan said call-ups Lesann and Dakota Odgers played well.
"It's good to know you have some younger guys that can step in and play," said the Terrier coach.
The two members of the AAA Midget Harvest are likely to practice with the Terriers through their playoff run, since the Harvest will miss theirs, and may see action as needed, said Cassan.
He did note with time off until the March start of their semi final round, he does hope most of his players are ready to go.
PLAYOFFS
Looking ahead to Melville in the playoffs Paterson said he expects "a pretty good series," one that is likely to be "back and forth" between two teams which have played that way all season.
Cassan termed the upcoming series simply as being "exciting".
"It's exciting to be a part of," he said, adding he knows that first hand having played in two series against Melville as a Terrier player.
Cassan said the big thing is to keep the series in perspective.
He said with the rivalry fans put a lot of added pressure on the outcome, and ultimately only one team can win. He added everyone needs to realize "they are young players working their hardest," regardless of the outcome.
Back on Saturday, making the trip down to Wilcox to take on the Hounds, Yorkton again took a 2-0 lead after 20-minutes on goals by Johnson and Chase Norrish.
Greg Ferguson was the lone Hound who would spoil the shut-out bid for Yorkton in the second period, beating Kale Thomson. Thomson would face 27-shots in the win.
In the third frame, Sookro and Devon McMullen added Terrier goals for the 4-1 win.
Dates for the Yorkton vs. Melville Sherwood semi final have the teams opening in Yorkton on Friday night, March 2. The series shifts to Melville on the following night and returns to the Farrell Agencies Arena on Monday night (March 5).
Should the series go the distance, Game 7 will be held Monday night March 12 at the Farrell Agencies Arena.
All game times for the series are 7:30 p.m.
