The Yorkton Harvest made a stop in the Battlefords in their five-game road trip over the weekend and looked to stay on a winning track following a convincing victory at Notre Dame a week-and-a-half ago.
The latest win puts Yorkton into a tight three-way tie for third place in the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, alongside the Regina Pat Canadians and the Moose Jaw Generals.
Graham Garrett, head coach of the Harvest, said he likes where things are at in terms of their positioning, but added that he believes things could be even better. Yorkton's loss in the first of two games in the Battlefords was one of those games that easily could have gone either way.Yorkton's win the following day (Oct. 31), he said, was a good example of how well things can go when everyone on the ice for the Harvest, are on the same page.
"It kind of brings the team together," he said Monday morning following the win. "We found ways to score and worked hard."
Garrett said that the Hallowe'en day win was a game that he could only play with three forward lines, instead of the normal four.
He said the team is missing Gage Rapitta, whom Garrett said is out with a dislocated finger, as well as rookie Yanni Mamias.
"The guys bonded," insists Garrett regarding the injuries. "For the first time this season, they played with desperation."
On Hallowe'en night, Yorkton put forth their highest scoring output of the season, including scoring three goals off seven shots in the opening period.
For the first time this season, they scored five times in the third period; two of those goals came on the power play.
They beat the Battlefords Stars 9-6 and was highlighted by a Dustin Skilliter hat trick.
The teams were tied 3-3 after the opening period. Skilliter, Dustin Minto and Tanner LeSann had the Yorkton goals. Jesse Gerbig, Cody Thiel and Jeff Olson replied for the Stars.
Both teams added a goal in the middle frame. Adam McCannell got his second goal of the season to make it 4-3, but the Battlefords answered that back on a goal by Colby Daniels.
In the third frame, Yorkton restored their lead when Ben Johnstone scored 30 seconds into the period. The Stars got two back to take a one-goal lead off markers by Ryne Keller and Olson got his second of the match.
Then four unanswered tallies by the Harvest put the game out of reach, the final two were scored into the empty net, the final came on a power play.
Kade Halabuza and Josh Lees scored to make it 6-5 Yorkton, before captain Skilliter completed his hat trick in the final minute of play, scoring twice in 1:01. Both goals were into the empty net. Both goals were also assisted on by Roddy Sewap.
The second period featured nearly 30 minutes in penalty calls handed out.
Skilliter's night featured three goals along with a pair of assists.
In the third period of Sunday's win, Garrett pulled Spencer Bomboir and replaced him with Kale Thomson. Garrett said Stars' forwards had been cheap-shotting him, adding that he "got run at all night long."
Garrett said Bomboir's been playing well when he gets the chance and has started four games so far this season.
The win, which came after a 4-2 loss to the Stars on Saturday, puts the Harvest into a three-way tie for third place in the league with the Moose Jaw Generals and Regina Pat Canadians.
The weekend homestand in the Battlefords started off with a 4-2 loss as Yorkton gave up the opening two goals, fought back to within one, however an empty net goal sealed their fate Saturday night.
Justin Lund and Dylan Fluter combined for first-period markers; the first of which came shorthanded as the Stars took a 2-0 lead into the dressing room.
Yorkton rookie Roddy Sewap got one back for the Harvest at 15:25 of the second period but the Stars answered that back when Lund recorded his second of the game on a power play marker to restore the two-goal lead.
Levi Cable brought Yorkton back to within one when he tallied unassisted with 1:04 remaining in the second period.
Jeff Olson scored with 20 seconds left in the third, into the empty net for Battlefords.
Kale Thomson took the loss in net for Yorkton while Regan Santoro got the win for the Stars.
Garrett said he wasn't happy with the fact that Yorkton got away from playing their style and that it nearly cost them a much larger deficit on the scoreboard.
"We didn't follow the system we wanted to play. We dominated at times in the second and third (periods)."
He said that despite the loss, it was not a difficult game to watch.
"It was played the way coaches like it. They (the Battleford) were able to hang on."
Yorkton continues to remain on the road in what is the longest road trip of the season. Next up is a Thursday night date with the Notre Dame Argos, a game Garrett says he only hopes will be a close game. The Argos currently sit in second place in the league. Yorkton then has their first weekend off as they head to Tisdale on Wednesday Nov. 10.
