The Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League final is down to a best-of-five following a split in the opening two games played in LaRonge.
On Friday, Yorkton got their first taste of defeat of this season's playoffs falling 5-2 to the Icewolves.
They gave up two unanswered first period goals to Travis Eggum and Robert Monfore and never got any closer.
Graham Smerek made it 3-0 midway through the second, before Kyle McLeod put the Terriers on the board with his first of the playoffs.
Rhyse Dieno would add one for LaRonge late in the second to recapture a three-goal lead.
McLeod gave the Terriers a chance with a goal 3:11 into the third to make it 4-2, but that would be it for Yorkton's scoring.
Nolan Souchette added an empty netter to complete the 5-2 LaRonge win.
Devin Peters took the loss in the Terrier net allowing four goals on 39 shots, while Adam Bartko had the Icewolves' win facing 34-shots.
Terrier head coach Trent Cassan said for the first time this playoff, the team did not play well to start the game.
"We were sluggish early on for whatever reason. The first 10-12 minutes we got beat to some pucks, we lost some battles," he said. "Before we knew it, we were down two goals.
"They were a better team for the first period They were the team with more jump and desire than we had that night."
Cassan said the game was "a bit of an eye opener for us I think our guys saw how good a hockey club they are up against, that they can't take any time off. When you do, it costs you
"It was good for our guys to see you have to put work in every single time you're out there."
A night later, Peters took matters into his goalie glove, stopping all 29 shots he faced as he backstopped the Sherwood Conference champs to a 3-0 win. It was his third shutout in six playoff games this season.
The teams played through a scoreless first period.
In the second, Yorkton took a 2-0 lead, one from an expected source, the other much less so.
Robbie Ciolfi got the Terriers started the scoring with his 10th of the playoffs, and 17th point.
It would then be Kurtis Decker who would score his first of the playoffs, and only second of the entire season.
Riley Paterson would add an empty-netter to round out the scoring.
Bartko, in the Icewolves net, faced 40 shots in the loss.
"We played with a lot more jump," said Cassan. "We had a lot better second and third efforts on loose pucks that we didn't have the night before."
As for Peters' shut-out Cassan said it was part of a strong weekend for his goaltender.
"Devin was very good both nights," said the Terrier coach. "Even on Friday night, he made some big saves to keep us in it."
Cassan said the team also played tougher in front of Peters Saturday. He said at times during Friday's game, they gave up the blueline too easily, but Saturday the Terrier zone was a tougher place for the Icewolves to be.
Up next
Game three of the series was scheduled for last night (Tuesday) at the Farrell Agencies Arena in the city, but results were not available at press time.
Game four is tonight (Wednesday) in Yorkton.
The series reverts back to LaRonge Friday for Game 5. Should a Game 6 be necessary, it would be a 6 p.m. start Sunday at the Farrell Agencies Arena.
If the series goes the distance, Game 7 would be in LaRonge Tuesday, April 12.
