The Yorkton RawTec Maulers were looking to get back into the win column last Wednesday against the Notre Dame Hounds following back-to-back shootout losses to the bottom dwelling Swift Current Legionnaires the previous weekend.
However another poor display in the shootout resulted in the Maulers鈥� third consecutive skills competition loss, this time 4-3 to the Hounds.
Cody Dubas, Derrick Budz and Damian Bentz scored for Yorkton in regulation time while Notre Dame goals came from Adam Dawe, Zach Kosteniuk and Carson McManaman.
Dawe also scored in the shootout for the Hounds while Budz, Bentz and Tristyn DeRoose were all stopped by Notre Dame net minder Reid Cooper, giving Cooper the 26 save win while Jordan Schmuland had to take the loss between the Mauler pipes, stopping 33-of-36 shots and 2-of-3 in the shootout. 鈥淔ortunately the shootout will never decide a game in the playoffs, so while we lost again, I think we鈥檒l stand a better chance in overtime,鈥� said Rawtec Mauler head coach Graham Garrett, adding that while it wasn鈥檛 ideal to lose to the Hounds in the shootout, losing outside of regulation allowed them to keep their hold on the tiebreaker should the two sides finish with the same amount of points after 44 games. 鈥淲e鈥檙e still two points up on them and for them to leapfrog us they鈥檙e probably going to have to win two or three of their last few games and we still control our destiny with a game Wednesday (today) against Regina.鈥�
Garrett said that the loss wasn鈥檛 immediately the result of the shootout, but more a slow start to the game on Yorkton鈥檚 part. 鈥淭hey had jump; they鈥檝e been on a high here these last couple of games and we haven鈥檛 been,鈥� mentioned Garrett, continuing, 鈥淲e鈥檝e been on a bit of a low and I thought they came out and took it to us a bit.
鈥淭hey got some power plays and we were losing some battles and again, penalties sometimes cost us momentum and I thought it did in the first period.鈥�
The loss leaves the Maulers in fifth place with a record of 25-13-5 for 55 points with one game remaining. The Hounds (27-14-1) also have 55 points, but have two games left in their schedule giving them fourth place for the time being due to games in hand, although the Maulers do hold the tiebreaker over the Hounds.
Regina (28-8-4) continue to lead the league with 60 points, two ahead of Moose Jaw (26-9-6, 58 pts) and four up on the third place Tisdale Trojans (26-11-4, 56 pts).
Prince Albert (21-18-2) sit in sixth with 44 points, one ahead of both the Saskatoon Blazers (21-21-1) and Battlesfords Stars (20-20-3), both of which hold down the seventh and eighth place playoff spots with 43 points.
Beardy鈥檚 (18-20-3) remains the only team in playoff contention that is not currently in a playoff position, four points back of the final spot with 39, while the Saskatoon Contacts, Notre Dame Argos and Swift Current Legionnaires have all officially been eliminated from playoff contention.
Next action
The Yorkton RawTec Maulers (25-13-5) will host the Regina Pat Canadians (28-8-4) tonight (Wednesday) at the Farrell Agencies Arena for an 8:00p.m. start time.
