Last weekend acted as a big learning curve for the Yorkton Terriers. The hockey club faced the Estevan Bruins in a two-game series. The first game was in Estevan on Friday night, and the Bruins dominated the play, causing the Terriers to lose 8-1.聽
To avoid another fierce loss, the coaching staff held a long video session with the team on Saturday before their home game against the Bruins.聽
It proved to work. Although the game resulted in another loss for the Terriers, this game would see an overtime period after a large portion of play was controlled by Yorkton.聽
鈥淲e were working on little things today,鈥� said head coach/GM Casey O鈥橞rien after Saturday鈥檚 game. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 even the same hockey team.鈥�
O鈥橞rien admitted that the team has been having a tough time getting momentum so far this season. Their current record is 1-5-2, giving them only four points. Meanwhile Estevan is sitting pretty with 12 points, putting them in first place in the Viterra Divison and second place in the league overall.聽
Saturday鈥檚 game started out fast for the Terriers, but they couldn鈥檛 get the puck into the net during the first period. They doubled Estevan鈥檚 shots on goal, but would have to fight harder to connect with the net. The first period ended 0-0.聽
Whatever the coaches said to the Terrier players during first intermission seemed to work. Five minutes into the second, Terriers forward Cody Illerbrun scored the first goal of the night. Shortly after, Chantz Petruic would score the second on a power play. Petruic is the newest addition to the Terriers after returning from the Moose Jaw Warriors of the WHL.
Close to the end of the second, Estevan would capitalize on a power play to make the score 2-1 to end the period.聽
The third period started off well for the Terriers, as they added another goal from Kaleb Bell to bring the score up 3-1.聽
But Estevan would quickly respond with two more goals around the halfway point.聽
The score was tied 3-3.聽
With only two and a half minutes remaining in the game, Estevan scored again to give them a late lead. It looked like the game was over.聽
But, with six seconds remaining on the clock, Yorkton鈥檚 veteran forward Shane Sherban would score to tie the game at 4-4 and send it into overtime.聽
The overtime period lasted only a couple of minutes. The teams shared control of the puck quite evenly, but in the end it was Estevan who got the goal. They took the win 5-4.
鈥淭he emotion of winning tonight, or the chance to win, got the best of some guys,鈥� said O鈥橞rien.聽
Yorkton native Nolan Maier played between the pipes for the Terriers on Saturday night. He blocked 45 of 50 shots on net. O鈥橞rien said there was no question about Maier鈥檚 impressive performance.聽
鈥淭he kid can flat out play,鈥� said the coach.
O鈥橞rien said with a high-scoring team like Estevan, if the skaters can鈥檛 clear the puck out of their zone quick enough, then the opposing team will make them pay.聽
With the Bruins series complete and a lot of lessons learned, the Terriers now prepare for their upcoming home-and-home series against their Highway 10 rivals 鈥� the Melville Millionaires.聽
O鈥橞rien said they鈥檙e hoping to build off of Saturday鈥檚 game and improve from there for their upcoming games.聽
He said physical strength is one thing they鈥檒l be working on over the next few days, as well as some little things.聽
鈥淸We鈥檙e] working on our back checking, working on our fore checking, and winning some more one-on-one battles,鈥� he said.聽
The coach also added that the addition of Petruic to the roster should benefit the team when it comes to scoring goals. This week, they鈥檒l focus on familiarizing Petruic with their systems before the Melville series begins.
鈥淲e鈥檙e hoping to make it an exciting series for both hockey clubs. Both clubs are struggling right now, so if we can capitalize and go in and get three or four points, that鈥檇 be huge,鈥� said O鈥橞rien.
The series kicks off on Friday night in Melville at the Horizon Credit Union Centre at 7:30 p.m., and then returns to the Farrell Agencies Arena in Yorkton on Saturday night at 7:30. The Yorkton-Melville games are always action packed and provide a great atmosphere. It鈥檚 safe to say that both teams are hoping for nothing less this time around.聽
