Story Coming In:
It was a disappointing loss for the Yorkton Terriers at the Northern Lights Palace. Simply put, they were outplayed in every aspect of the game. Discipline, or lack thereof, was also a factor. The Terriers took eight penalties, including a five minute major, and gave up three power-play goals. Despite the lopsided loss, the Terriers still have a series lead, and this time they can close it out on home ice. With a 2-1 overtime win and a 5-2 victory at the Westland Insurance Arena, Yorkton has the confidence to move on to the second round in front of their fans. Kael DePape continues his strong form in net for the Terriers, the biggest question mark is who will lead the Terriers offensively en route to victory.
View From Melfort:
Melfort showed the league on Friday night why they are the Sherwood Division champion. The league’s number one power-play unit came to life with three goals on eight attempts, the Mustangs got goals from five different players, and Melfort badly outshot their opponents 45-23. It was a performance that more than justified a second shot at extending their season. Seth McCulloch returned to the lineup from injury and gave the Mustangs a needed boost. While only posting a single assist, the Coutts, Alberta product created havoc on the power-play by parking himself in the blue paint. Lucas Ochitwa’s return bolstered the blue-line for the Mustangs, as his chippy play frustrated Yorkton. Melfort will need another performance like in game 5 to send this series back to the Northern Lights Palace, as they look to win in Yorkton for the first time this series.
Nelly Nelly:
One of the more consistent players for the Yorkton Terriers this series has been Greg Nelson. The Veteran, Alberta product leads the team in assists, while his lone goal was the overtime winner in game three. A physical player, Nelson has put the Mustangs on their heels, whenever he steps on the ice. Nelson’s confidence has also grown as the series has gone on, showing a willingness to take on defenders and open up opportunities for his line-mates. While he only put up 14 points in 33 regular season games, the 19-year-old is finding another gear in the postseason, where the Terriers need it the most. If he can take his game to one more level, then Yorkton will have an excellent chance at moving on to the SJHL semi-finals.
Tale of the Tape
Terriers Lead Best of 7 Series 3-2
Game #1: 4-1 Melfort
(Clarke Huxley – 2 goals, Joel Favreau – 27 saves)
Game #2: 4-3 Yorkton (2OT)
(Kishaun Gervais – overtime winner, Cade Kennedy – first SJHL goal)
Game #3: 2-1 Yorkton (OT)
(Greg Nelson – overtime winner and one assist, Kael DePape – 31 saves)
Game #4: 5-2 Yorkton
(Kody Norberg- 1st career SJHL goal & game winner, Kael DePape – 38 saves)
Game #5: 5-1 Melfort
(Marco Lopez – 1 goal & 2 assists, Dawson Leroux – 2 assists)
Yorkton Terriers Melfort Mustangs
Powerplay: 2/18 – 11.1% Powerplay: 4/32 – 12.5%
Penalty Kill: 28/32 – 87.5% Penalty Kill: 16/18 – 88.9%
Stats Leaders For Yorkton:
Goals: Gervais & Kruska (2)
Assists: Nelson (3)
Points: Gervais, Nelson & Kruska (4)
PIM: Janzen (24)
Goalie: DePape 3-2-0, 2.70, 0.923%
