Terriers Capture Parks Cup
Photo Credit: Simple Shots By Jackie Tanner Sklaruk had a pair of markers, while Reagan Sweeney scored his first goal of his SJHL career, and the Yorkton Terriers rolled the Melville Millionaires 4-1 to capture the 2022 Parks Cup. Kael DePape was solid in goal, stopping 24 of 25 Melville shots, while Zach McIntyre added two assists against his former team.
The Terriers opened the scoring late in the first period. With a loose puck in the slot, Sweeney unleashed a rocket into the top corner of the Melville net, over the right shoulder of Alexis Giroux. Clay Sleeva and McIntyre had the assists on the first goal of Sweeney’s junior hockey career. Melville replied in the final minute of play on a weird sequence. A bouncing puck went off the pad of DePape and flipped high in the air. In the chaos with the Yorkton net-minder trying to bat the puck away, the puck trickled down the back of DePape and slid into the net to make it a 1-1 game. Nicolas Samson was given credit for the goal, his 13th of the season.
The Terriers retook their lead quickly into the second period. Gervais fired the puck off the right pad of Giroux and Sklaruk shoveled home the rebound in the wide open cage for his 7th goal of the season. Yorkton almost extended their lead in the second shorthanded. Colby Vranai stripped Aiden Robson of the puck and went one-on-one with Giroux, only to hit the post.
Yorkton got some insurance in the third period. Steven Norum stormed the Melville goal, making a nice move on the defender, before losing the handle on the puck. Sklaruk followed up the play lifting the puck over the shoulder of Giroux for his second of the game and eighth of the season. Norum then placed the cherry on top of the Terriers. Flying down the right wing, Norum picked the top corner over the right shoulder of Giroux, giving Yorkton a 4-1 lead.
With the win, the Terriers won the Parks Cup for the first time since the 2018/19 season, and they now move four points clear of both Melville and La Ronge in the standings. Yorkton has a quick turnaround, as they host the Humboldt Broncos on Saturday night. The game will be on the GX 94 online only stream with the pre-game show starting at 7:20pm and play-by-play kicking off at 7:30pm.