Fans were delighted on Teddy Bear Toss and First Responders Night, as the Yorkton Terriers downed one of the top teams in the league 5-2. Dylan Ruptash scored a hat-trick, while Caleb Allen stopped 38 Flin Flon shots, on route to Yorkton’s 11th win of the season.
Terriers opened the scoring with the highly anticipated Teddy Bear goal. Brett Butz fanned on a shot before Greg Nelson made it rain bears by picking up the loose biscuit and snapping it over the shoulder of Harmon Laser-Hume. Terriers extended their lead in the first. Colton Koran picked off a pass in the left face-off circle, put his head up, and picked the top corner for his fourth goal of the season to make it 2-0 Yorkton.
The Bombers got themselves on the scoreboard early in the second period. In the dying seconds of a power-play, Jacob Vockler picked up a loose puck before dancing into the left face-off circle, firing a shot past Allen to make it 2-1. It wouldn’t take long for the Terriers to respond. After just missing a 2-on-1 opportunity, Ruptash picked up the puck behind the goal line and banked a shot off the pads of Laser-Hume and in to restore Yorkton’s two goal lead. The Terriers made it 4-1 just before the end of the period. On a delayed penalty call, Lohgan Nimmo fired a shot from the point that was blocked, and Ruptash tapped home his second goal of the game to ignite the Westland Insurance faithful.
Ruptash completed his hat-trick in the final minute of the game. After Tyson Perkins just held the blue-line, Cohner Saleski found a wide open Ruptash in the slot who fired the puck over the Flin Flon goaltender for his team leading 13th goal of the season. The Bombers got one goal back, courtesy of Alexi Sylvestre, but at that time the damage was already done, and Yorkton marched out to a 5-2 victory.
The Terriers will be on the road for a three game northern road trip this week. It starts on Tuesday against the Nipawin Hawks with puck drop at 7:00pm at the Centennial Arena.