The good news is that there are still seven games left in which to make up some ground.The bad news is that they are currently on a three-game losing skid.
The other bad news is that they are also currently without their team-leading goal scorer.Unlike the other two, that negative is far beyond their control and he is expected to return within the next seven days, according to the coaching staff.
The Midget AAA Yorkton Harvest haven't been in a situation like this in a long time where they've gone without their top scorer for any number of games.
They're getting a real good glimpse of it right now.
After losing top scorer Levi Cable to the WHL, the Yorkton Harvest are going to need someone to step up, says head coach Graham Garrett, as Cable got the call-up to play with the Kootenay Ice.
The next week or so worth of games should say quite a bit about how the Harvest play when it seems that their backs are against the wall.
Yorkton currently sits three points behind Tisdale and are in eighth spot in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA hockey league.
Things weren't much better for them on the scoreboard in their two most recent home games, a 4-1 loss to the Regina Pat Canadians, followed by Sunday's night's loss to the Tisdale Trojans.Garrett said after the Tisdale game it was a loss he could see coming.
"I knew it was going to happen (this way)," he said, adding that it's "tough to beat that" when the other team plays as strong as Tisdale did.
"Now we have to put together some wins on the road."
Having Cable, who scores at least a point a game, on Western Hockey League call-up isn't the most ideal situation for the Yorkton team, but it's something that Garrett says he hopes will be able to bring the rest of the team together.
The 16-year-old native of Hudson Bay, Sk., is on loan to the Kootenay Ice, says Garrett and will likely be gone another week.
On Sunday, the Trojans took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Jarrett Fontaine and Avery VanBlaricom, before Yorkton's Tanner LeSann got one back from John Odgers and Josh Lees.Tisdale held an 11-8 advantage in shots on goal through period one.
Roddy Sewap scored the tying goal, unassisted at 12:27 of the second period but Dylan Frey restored the lead for Tisdale at 3:21 to take a 3-2 lead into the third period, which saw Yorkton again fight back to tie the game at 3-3.
Odgers from LeSann at 17:22 drew them back to even terms.
The past two meetings with Tisdale have resulted in one and two goal decisions.This recent battle got out of hand in the third period.
Four unanswered Trojans goals, including one on the power play did the Harvest in.
The game was the first of the season in which Yorkton and their opponents were even in shots on goal with 25 apiece.
In Yorkton's 4-1 loss to the Regina Pat Canadians, Yorkton fell behind 4-0 after one period and didn't get anything going the rest of the night.
"We just weren't ready to play," states Garrett, before adding that "every so often you get away with it but you always have to play a full 60 minutes."
Yorkton has two home games remaining in the regular season and neither of them will be easy games.Despite the losing skid, none of the players are taking things too hard.
After allowing 15 goals in their last two games, nobody is faulting the goaltenders.
Kale Thomson, who is in his third year with the team, is confident in his play, said guys have been chipping in with scoring since Cable left temporarily for the WHL.
"A few guys have been scoring goals. I'm pretty confident with my play.
The bounces haven't been going our way," he said following the final game of the week Sunday night at Farrell Agencies Arena.
Dustin Skilliter, who has been providing a physical presence all season said the news of Cable getting the call-up was "kind of big" but isn't dwelling on it too much.
He said the team would like to build up some momentum heading into the final month of the season, in which there are seven remaining games.
"We're hoping to get on a roll. Everyone's got to step up."
NEXT ACTIONThe Harvest head out to Wilcox to take on the Hounds tonight (Wednesday) and then head out to Tisdale for a re-match with the Trojans on Sunday. Three more road games will take them back to Wilcox then onto Swift Current before they round out the season on home ice Feb. 19-20.
