YORKTON, SK – Keenan Ingram completed a hat trick early in the third period as the Yorkton Terriers defeated the Battlefords North Stars 10-5 in a high-scoring showdown this afternoon at Westland Insurance Arena.
The game began with the visitors striking first. Stars defenceman Gavin Granger unleashed a point shot through traffic, beating Ethan Farrow to give the North Stars a 1-0 lead.
The Terriers had several chances to equalize during four power plays in the opening frame. Despite numerous loose pucks in the crease, they couldn’t solve goaltender Justen Maric. However, persistence paid off late in the period when Keenan Ingram snapped a shot past Maric for his 24th goal of the season, assisted by Dustin Renas and Carter Briltz.
The Terriers dominated the shot clock in the first period, outshooting the North Stars 21-11.
In the second period, the Terriers found their offensive rhythm. Just 2:14 into the frame, Leonard jammed a puck past Maric for his seventh goal of the season and first in 11 games. Shortly afterward, Renas sprung Ingram loose on a breakaway, and Ingram confidently deked out Maric to score his second of the afternoon and league-leading 25th goal of the season.
The scoring spree continued as David Coyle capitalized on a perfect setup from Jeff Hammond, ripping a shot glove-side to extend the lead to three. The Terriers weren’t done yet, as Schofer went bar-down for his fourth goal of the season, making it 5-1.
The North Stars refused to go quietly. They struck twice in 54 seconds, with Treycen Wuttunee and Jace Rask cutting the Terriers’ lead to 5-3.
Despite the pushback, the Terriers remained dominant. The North Stars earned the lone power play of the second period, but Yorkton once again controlled the action, outshooting Battlefords 16-8 to bring the two-period total to 37-19.
The Terriers carried their momentum into the final frame. Just 45 seconds in, Renas buried his 16th goal of the season. Both teams exchanged power-play goals, with Anderson scoring for the North Stars and Coyle responding with his 17th of the season for Yorkton. Moments later, Wuttunee scored his second of the night, cutting the deficit further.
The Terriers closed the game in style with three unanswered goals. Ingram completed his hat trick, while Riley Cormier and Bryce Dahl added insurance markers to seal the 10-5 victory.
The Terriers outshot the North Stars 53-31, and Ethan Farrow picked up his 14th win of the season.
With the win, the Terriers snapped a three-game losing streak and reclaimed first place in the Viterra Division.
