THE BATTLEFORDS - The Battlefords North Stars had a rough night against the Yorkton Terriers to begin the first of three straight at home and two on successive nights.
As it turned out, it was the road team the Terriers who won by a 5-3 final score. The story of the game had to be a dominant performance by the Terriers in shots on goal. The final shot count favoured the Terriers 54 to 34.
The Terriers got the opening goal at 7:43 of period one as Logan Cyca got his first goal in the SJHL, beating North Stars goalie Ulrik Roussel. J.D. Hall and Kishaun Gervais got the assists.
Emmett Wurst tied it up for the North Stars later in the period, his sixth of the season, making it 1-1 at the 18:26 mark. Keiton Klein and Zane Florence got the assists.
But the Terriers went back in front just eight seconds later with a goal from Gervais, with Cyca and Cale Strasky assisting, for the 2-1 lead. Shots on goal favored Yorkton 17-11 through one.
Early in the second period, the Terriers extended the lead to 3-1 as Gervais got his second of the game at the 57 second mark, with Cyca getting his second assist.
But at the 3:37 mark Matthew Henry's second goal of the season beat Yorkton netminder Kael DePape, to cut the margin to 3-2.
Midway through the period the Terriers scored again at the 7:41 mark. Roussel seemed to lose his footing as Maddux Nollski scored for the Terriers.
Roussel remained down on the ice following the goal and ended up being carried off the ice to the dressing room, unable to continue. Michael Harroch took over at that point, and made some good early saves to keep the Terriers from getting any further ahead.
The Terriers remained dominant on the shots count, leading 44-23 through two periods.
In the third period, the two teams traded goals. The Terriers extended their lead to three goals as Karsten Kruska scored at the 8:35 mark. But the North Stars answered back soon after on K.T Walters' sixth of the season, and that would be all the scoring as the Terriers hung on by the final of 5-3.
The North Stars are back in action Saturday at home to Notre Dame, while the Terriers are scheduled to go to Kindersley.
