Terriers Improve To 3-0 With Win Over Weyburn
Photo Credit: Simple Shots By Jackie For the second straight game, a Terrier’s first career SJHL goal is a game winner as Yorkton downed the Weyburn Red Wings 3-1. Caleb Allen had another excellent night with 25 saves in the win, while Brett Butz, JD Hall and Clay Sleeva all scored for the Terriers.
A back and forth first period saw an unusual event unfold. Braigh LeGrandeur started the game with a 10 minute misconduct for a warm-up infraction, before about 12 minutes into the game taking a second 10 minute miscount, which led to a game misconduct. The Terriers couldn’t capitalize on the man advantage, but the Red Wings found themselves down a player early in the contest. Weyburn went on to break the goose egg late in the frame. After an icing against the Terriers, the Red Wings won the ensuing face-off and a bouncing puck found its way to Jackson Hassman, who chipped it over the shoulder of Allen. The Red Wing lead would be short lived. Less than two minutes later, and on their third power-play of the period, Karsten Kruska flipped a pass on the stick of Hall, who went to his backhand, lifting the puck over Dazza Mitchell to tie the game at 1-1 with 17 seconds left in the first.
No scoring took place in the second period, but both teams had their chances, with the goalies standing tall. A breakthrough didn’t happen until late in the third period. On their sixth power-play of the evening, a point shot from Pavel McKenzie was stopped by Mitchell, before Butz found the rebound and shoveled it home for his first career SJHL game. Weyburn pressed, but a couple big saves from Allen denied the Red Wings, before Sleeva potted an empty net goal to seal the deal for Yorkton.
Special teams was a big factor for Yorkton, who went 2-for-6 on the man advantage and a perfect 3/3 on the penalty kill. The Terriers start the season 3-0 for the first time since the 2008/2009 campaign.
Yorkton is back in action on Sunday night when they take on the high powered Nipawin Hawks at the Legends Centre in Warman during the SJHL Showcase. The game will be broadcast on GX 94 with the pre-game show starting at 7:20pm and play-by-play kicking off at 7:30pm.