For two periods, the Estevan Big Dogs gave the Regina Riot everything they could handle in an entertaining Prairie Gold Lacrosse League battle.
But the undermanned Big Dogs ran out of gas in the third, falling 11-6 in their season opener at the Lignite Miners Centre on Saturday.
Rhett Handley led the Big Dogs with a hat trick. Marshall Holzer scored twice and Ryan Curzon added a goal.
The Riot replied with goals from seven different players, including a Sheldon Maher hat trick, two apiece from Tyler Lupanko and Brandon Whitehouse, and singles from Stephen Watson, Patrick Belisle, Cam Welter and Cole Welter.
"That was a really competitive game. I know it shows we lost by five, but going into the third period it was (5-4 for Regina)," said Big Dogs head coach Evan Handley.
"We had two lines and two extra guys, and we took some penalties in the third period and we just didn't have the manpower to do it."Estevan trailed by one goal midway through the third, but the Riot whipped off four unanswered goals as the Big Dogs got into penalty trouble and didn't have fresh legs to get back in the game.
"When we had to kill off three penalties basically back-to-back being that it is junior, we're playing a lot of the same kids in all situations, so by the end of the game they're exhausted," Handley said.
Watson opened the scoring for Regina at the 4:07 mark of the first, but Handley responded with the Big Dogs' first goal of the season four minutes later on a fast break down the left side.
Estevan created some excellent scoring chances late in the period but the teams went into the break tied 1-1.
Holzer gave the Big Dogs their first lead at 2:48 of the second, but the Riot knotted it up two minutes later.
Handley scored his second of the night just past the 11-minute mark, taking a long feed and beating Regina goalie Ben Pominville stick side to make it 3-2 for Estevan.
The visitors then fired three goals in a span of less than four minutes, followed by Handley's third goal with 54 seconds left in the second period to make it 5-4 for the Riot.
Curzon scored a determined goal 13 seconds into the third, flicking the ball into the top corner while falling toward the boards to tie the game. Regina responded with two goals five minutes apart.
Holzer scooped up a loose ball near the left-side boards and fired it home midway through the third to pull Estevan within one, but that was all they could muster.
Handley said his squad got beaten to too many loose balls, but he was impressed with its ball distribution.
The coach was also happy with the play of his rookies and felt Saturday's game would have been close to the end if the Big Dogs had more players."James Chamney works really, really hard. I thought he played well. Ty Currie was outstanding. It's the same kids that are playing great, game in and game out," he said.
"To play them that tight for two periods - if we can get three or four more bodies, which we're hoping we can get, hopefully that'll help."
The Big Dogs dressed 14 players, including two goalies, compared with 18 for Regina.
Estevan's next game is May 29 in Yorkton against the Bulldogs.
