Terriers Wrap Up Road Trip In Wilcox
Photo Credit: Simple Shots By Jackie Story Coming In:
The three game road trip wraps up with a visit to Wilcox for the Yorkton Terriers. Yorkton hasn’t played Notre Dame since October 2nd, where the Hounds prevailed 4-2. So far, the Terriers have split the first two games of the road trip, with a 4-3 victory over Estevan, and a 4-1 loss to Humboldt. Special teams has been a bright spot for Yorkton, as the power-play has scored goals in three straight games, and the penalty kill has been a perfect 24 for 24 since the team’s return from COVID-19 protocols. Steven Norum has goals in back to back games, while Kishaun Gervais has points in four of his last five games. With every point being important in the playoff race, tonight’s game feels like a must win for Yorkton, especially over an opponent behind them in the standings.
View From Notre Dame:
Arguably no one has been more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than the Notre Dame Hounds. The Hounds played three games coming out of the Christmas break before having five games postponed due to a shutdown of the school. Since then the Hounds have played three games, losing them all. Notre Dame were buyers at the trade deadline, acquiring Nik Sombrowski from Weyburn and Jake Sacratini from the States, but a poor run of form has seen the Hounds fall out of a playoff spot. The power-play, while lethal all year and sitting in third place, has only gone 1 for 17 in the last three games. While the Hounds may be struggling, they shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially with the likes of Kevin Anderson, Elliot Dutil and company.
Needing A Reboot:
It’s been a struggle on offense for Clay Sleeva, as of late. The Canora product hasn’t scored since December 10th, and during those 12 games he has only posted three points. Keep in mind, Sleeva is still a rookie and is bound to go through ups and downs through his first season in the SJHL. While his offense has sputtered, the 18-year-old’s play on the penalty kill has been excellent, consistently causing headaches for the opposing team, and Sleeva has been solid in the faceoff circle. A complete team game is important for any player on Mat Hehr’s squad, and Sleeva is showing flashes that he can be relied on in all situations.
Tale of the Tape
Yorkton Terriers (19-17-1-4 – 43 points) Notre Dame Hounds (15-18-3-1 – 34 points)
2nd Viterra Division/ T-6th SJHL 3rd Global Ag Risk Division/ 10th SJHL
Powerplay: 20/156 – 12.8% (10th SJHL) Powerplay: 38/165 – 23% (3rd SJHL)
Penalty Kill: 166/191 – 86.9% (3rd SJHL) Penalty Kill: 125/154 – 81.2% (6th SJHL)
Last Ten: 5-4-1-0 Streak: 0-1-0-0 Last Ten: 2-7-1-0 Streak: 0-3-1-0
Stats Leaders For Yorkton:
Goals: Nollski (14)
Assists: Jasper (23)
Points: Gervais & Norum (26)
PIM: Gervais (74)
Goalie: DePape 16-10-0-4, 2.13, 0.924%, 3 SO