Terriers Open Short Road Trip Against Battlefords
Photo Credit: Simple Shots By Jackie Story Coming In:
It’s crunch time for the Yorkton Terriers. Having lost three straight, the orange and gray find themselves sitting in 7th place in the SJHL, two points ahead of Notre Dame in 8th and three points ahead of Kindersley in 9th. Yorkton also sits one point back of La Ronge for 6th place in a tightly contested playoff race. Now, they kick-start a crucial two game road trip in Western Saskatchewan. Yorkton had some success against the Battlefords North Stars this season with two wins and a loss. The last time they visited the Battlefords, they beat the North Stars 5-3 thanks to a four point night from Kishaun Gervais. This match-up has a lot more playoff implications than the last, as Yorkton begins to enter must win territory for the remainder of the 2021/22 season.
View From Battlefords:
Despite a disappointing loss to La Ronge over the weekend, the North Stars have been one of the hotter teams in the SJHL as of late. Winning back to back games from a two week break, including a 4-0 shutout of Humboldt, Battlefords finds themselves just behind Melfort and Flin Flon for 3rd place in the SJHL. A position of weakness has been strengthened after the acquisition of goaltender Michael Harroch. The over-ager from North Vancouver has posted a record of 12-3-2-1 since joining the North Stars, which includes four wins in his last six games. Battlefords also has five players who have at least 30 points, led by the rookie Jake Southgate. The North Stars are never an easy opponent, as they are well coached, will roll all four lines, and will take advantage of any opportunity that comes their way.
Looking For Revival:
Easily the MVP of the season for the Terriers, some people in the SJHL believe that Kael DePape may be the leading candidate for rookie of the year. The 18-year-old has been excellent this season, making timely saves and keeping the Terriers in every game he’s played in. That being said, DePape has seen some recent struggles. While lulls are expected to take place in a season, Yorkton is hoping that DePape can quickly regain his form as the race for the SJHL playoffs heats up. The play of Tresor Wotton should help take the pressure off of DePape, allowing the local product to refocus himself and get back to his elite style of play. If DePape regains form, then Yorkton should make the playoffs, and could be a huge threat down the run.
Tale of the Tape
Yorkton Terriers (20-20-1-4 – 45 points) Battlefords North Stars (25-11-4-1 – 55 points)
2nd Viterra Division/ 7th SJHL 2nd Global Ag Risk Division/ 5th SJHL
Powerplay: 20/167 – 12.0% (10th SJHL) Powerplay: 28/119 – 23.5% (2nd SJHL)
Penalty Kill: 178/206 – 86.4% (3rd SJHL) Penalty Kill: 126/161 – 78.3% (9th SJHL)
Last Ten: 4-6-0-0 Streak: 0-3-0-0 Last Ten: 7-3-0-0 Streak: 0-1-0-0
Stats Leaders For Yorkton:
Goals: Gervais & Nollski (15)
Assists: Jasper (24)
Points: Norum (31)
PIM: Gervais (80)
Goalie: DePape 16-13-0-4, 2.35, 0.915%, 3 SO