Yorkton Looks To Play Spoiler On Home Ice
Photo Credit: Simple Shots By Jackie Story Coming In:
The Terriers were in fine form over the weekend as their offense came to life in a sweep of the Melville Millionaires. The rivalry was alive and well on Friday in a game that featured 312 penalty minutes, while Yorkton tallied up eight goals against Melville. Saturday saw the special teams strike time and time again, in a 5-3 victory. Karsten Kruska has been inspiring for the Terriers since returning from a broken femur. The London, Ontario product posted six points in the two games over the weekend, while tallying 10 points in seven games, despite not being 100%. If there’s one place the Terriers want to see improvement during the final week of the regular season, it’s the penalty kill which gave up five power-play goals over the weekend. Now Yorkton gets a chance to play the role of spoiler on home ice. With a chance of eliminating Notre Dame from postseason contention, and with the Terriers playing stellar hockey as of late, Yorkton could come out flying against the Hounds.
View From Notre Dame:
The Hounds are down to their final life. A loss and Notre Dame is eliminated from the playoff race. Even if Notre Dame wins, they need some help, but a job not done this evening will end any chances period. Last week the Hounds went 2-1 with a massive win over Weyburn where Sam Kroon scored the game winner with 20 seconds left, before splitting a home and home with Estevan. Jacob Ligi has the hot stick as of late, posting seven points in his last three games, while being named SJHL Rookie of the Week. However, the Michigan product needs help, and the top guns need to show up if Notre Dame wants to stay alive. If Dane Probe, Will Dawson and Antoine St Onge remain quiet, then the Hounds playoff chances will be extinguished.
MVP:
Seven points in two games. That’s an amazing accomplishment for any player. But for a 17-year-old rookie, that makes it even more impressive. That’s exactly what Pavel McKenzie accomplished over the weekend, en route to being named the SJHL MVP of the Week. The Cumberland House, Saskatchewan product is the youngest player this season to receive the nod and anyone watching the Terriers shouldn’t be surprised. Armed with a deadly shot and a knack for finding the soft areas in an opponent’s defense, McKenzie has quietly been one of the best rookies in Yorkton’s lineup and could become a superstar in this league. Lately the 17-year-old has found unbelievable chemistry with Karsten Kruska, as the two forwards combined for 13 points over the two weekend games. McKenzie has also climbed into the top 10 of SJHL rookie scoring, as game after game his confidence continues to grow.
Stats Leaders For Yorkton:
Goals: Ruptash (21)
Assists: Hall (19)
Points: Ruptash (39)
PIM: Mayes (221)
Goalie: Allen 16-24-1, 3.86, 0.896% 1SO 1G