It was a game that saw three different lead changes, but the Terriers wrapped up their pre-Christmas schedule with a close 5-3 loss to the Battlefords North Stars. Nine Terriers tallied a point, while Caleb Allen made 29 saves in the loss.
Yorkton opened the scoring with five minutes remaining in the first period. A shot from Pavel McKenzie was stopped by Josh Kotai, but Cohner Saleski scooped home the rebound to put Yorkton in front 1-0. The lead only lasted 37 seconds. Steven Kesslering found the puck behind the Terriers net and picked out a wide open Owen Underhill, who made no mistake, tying the game at 1-1. The North Stars got their first lead of the game with 11 seconds left in the opening frame. On a 5-on-3 power-play, Kian Bell danced past two Terrier penalty killers, before dishing off to Jake Southgate, who had a wide open cage.
The Terriers, after killing off a penalty to start the second period, controlled the first six and a half minutes of the middle stanza. Cade Kennedy picked out a wide open Colton Koran in the slot, for the Carstairs product’s 5th goal of the season, knotting the game at 2-2. Then two minutes later, the Terriers struck on the power-play when a point shot from Ashton Funk was knocked aside from Kotai, off the skate of Logan Cyca, and into the back of the net to make it 3-2 Yorkton. But less than a minute later the North Stars leveled the game. Colby Bear skated untouched into the slot and rifled a shot past Allen to make it 3-3. Jake Southgate tallied his second goal of the game, as he snuck a shot through Allen, giving Battlefords a 4-3 lead heading into the intermission. The Terriers pressed for an equalizer, but the North Stars added an empty net goal, courtesy of Holden Doell, taking the contest 5-3.
Yorkton is now on their Christmas break for the next couple of weeks. The orange and black will return to action on January 6th, when they renew the Battle of Highway 10 with the Melville Millionaires at the Westland Insurance Arena.
