The Yorkton Terriers had been officially eliminated from the playoff hunt before they saw action on the week, as Estevan won last Wednesday.
The Terriers then lost a pair of games in Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League play, leaving Yorkton with a record of 17-31-3-3 for 40 points, last in the Viterra Division, and in the entire league. Weyburn sits 10-points up on Yorkton for third place, Estevan is second in the Viterra with 51, while Melville leads the way with 52.
Both Estevan and Weyburn have a game in-hand on the Mils with a week to go in the SJHL season.
Friday the Terriers were in Estevan for their first game after elimination, and it showed.
Brad Arabia, Taylor Ross and Mahion Head all scored before the 11-minute mark of the first period to give the host Bruins a 3-0 lead which they carried into the second period.
When Charles Manley made it 4-0 at 1:24 of the second, Matt Kustra was pulled from the Terrier nets in favour of Carson Bogdan.
Carson Cayer finally put the Terriers on the board with a goal at 10:24 of the second, and then Zach Zadorozniak struck 14-seconds later to make it 4-2.
Ross would give the Bruins a three goal bulge again with his second of the night, a powerplay marker at 18:54.
Joe Wilkinson would give the Terriers hope with a goal 1:12 into the third, but Ross would get that one back with a goal at 6:09 to complete his hat trick on the night.
Kailum Gervais would add a powerplay marker for the Terriers, and Josh Reiger one for Estevan to round out a 7-4 Estevan win.
Kustra faced 13 shots, allowing four-goals before giving way to Bogdan who gave up three-goals on 22-shots in the loss.
Tyler Fuhr faced 18 Terrier shots in the Bruin net.
Saturday Flin Flon rolled into Yorkton sporting a record 28-points better than the Terriers, but it didn鈥檛 show on the ice.
The game was scoreless through the first period, and the second was the same.
The third started the same way with both goaltenders, Bogdan for the Terriers, and Adam Beukeboom for Flin Flon standing tall.
It wasn鈥檛 until the 10:48 mark of the third the scoreless tie would be broken, as Alex Smith finally scored the game鈥檚 only goal for the Bombers.
Bogdan took the loss in the Yorkton net facing 30-shots, while Beukeboom earned the shut-out victory facing 38.
Bogdan said it felt good to get into some action with the Terriers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 good to get a chance to play,鈥� he said, adding he just wants to show what he can do. 鈥淲hen you get a chance you want to do your best.鈥�
Bogdan was certainly at his best in his first Terrier start, a 1-0 shut-out win in Melville turning away 42-shots.
鈥淚t was really good for my debut,鈥� he said with a smile, then quickly adding 鈥渢he guys helped me out quite a bit blocking shots.鈥�
As for the 1-0 loss, Bogdan said he鈥檇 like the one shot to beat him back. He said the skater had him moving across the net, and he was thinking he was going to carry the puck around the net 鈥渨hen he sort of flicked it鈥�, and it was in the net.
Terrier head coach Trent Cassan said he has liked what he has seen from Bogdan over three games, adding 鈥渨e鈥檝e known for a while we wanted to get him into some games 鈥� We wanted to be fair to give him a good evaluation by playing him in some games 鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 too bad in two game starts we only gave him one goal in support,鈥� offered the Terrier coach.
In the shut-out loss the Terriers came close on offence on several shifts.
鈥淲e had some good chances,鈥� offered Cassan, adding it was a game where a bounce could have gone their way.
Still Bogdan shone as the Terriers鈥� first star.
鈥淗e鈥檚 been great,鈥� said Cassan. 鈥淚 think he鈥檚 pretty calm in the net. You can see he has confidence.鈥�
Bogdan has been playing with the Extreme Hockey Regina Capitals in the Prairie Junior Hockey League.
He said that experience has helped him develop as a net minder.
鈥淚鈥檓 playing the majority of the games,鈥� he said, adding that the Capitals having that confidence in him, helps him build his own.
Bogdan has played 24 games as a Capital, 20 of those wins, with a 2.53 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.
Cassan said the Capitals have helped the young net minder.
鈥淗e鈥檚 playing on a contending team, and he鈥檚 been kind of the go-to guy there,鈥� he said, adding while some players might get down not making Junior 鈥楢;鈥�, Bogdan took his opportunity in Regina, and has made it work in his favour.
Bogdan is hoping his Junior 鈥楤鈥� experience, and his limited Terrier time will land him with Yorkton next season.
鈥淕rowing up I always looked up to the Terriers,鈥� he said, adding he has grandparents in the city, so he attended a number of games, and then played AAA Midget here.
Up next
The Terriers wind up their regular season this week with a pair of home games.
Tonight (Wednesday) Yorkton hosts Melfort at the Farrell Agencies Arena, then complete the schedule Friday with Humboldt in the city.
