It was another three-win week for the Yorkton Terriers including a pair at the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League's Showcase event on the weekend.
The Terriers are on a streak where they have points in their last eight games, based on seven wins, and one shoot-out loss.
Terrier head coach Trent Cassan said the team has been playing well, but he reminds it's still December too.
"I know we've been on a bit of a streak," he said, adding the team is gaining a united confidence. " As a group we feel we have a strong team."
Cassan said the strength is coming from the players' dedication to succeed.
"Each night we suit up the guys want to win, and that's a good attitude to have," he said.
Cassan said that winning certainly helps keep a team focused, adding the Terriers are having fun in the midst of the streak.
"I think they are having fun, and they have fun working hard," he said. " When they come to the rink we want them to have fun."
At the same time, Cassan said practices are a time to work on systems to help the team succeed."When you're doing the little things right it does pay off and it's more fun too," he said.
The Terriers are also getting leadership on and off the ice, and that helps keep a team steady through a hot streak.
"It started right from the start of the year," said Cassan. The older guys came in knowing what was expected of them."
Cassan said the veterans have shown a work ethic which has rubbed off on the younger players.Yorkton now sits with a record of 22-8-1-3 for 48 points, tops in the SJHL's Sherwood Conference.Estevan sits second with 34 points, and five-games in-hand on the Terriers.
Weyburn sits third with 33 points, followed by Kindersley with 32, Melville at 28 and Notre Dame with 23.
On Sunday, the Terriers played Flin Flon at the Showcase with Yorkton netminder Warren Shymko stopping 33 of 34 shots to backstop his team to a 2-1 win.
Craig Eisenhut gave Yorkton a 1-0 lead midway through the first period, a lead they would hold until early into the final frame.
Andrew Johnston tied the game for Flin Flon with a powerplay marker 2:52 into the third.
It was a short-lived tie, as Clarke Breitkreuz responded for the Terriers with the eventual game-winner at 3:07.
A night earlier, (Saturday), it was Terrier goaltender Devin Peters who allowed only one goal, as Yorkton won 3-1 over Melfort.
Brenden Poncelet and Breitkreuz gave Yorkton a 2-0 lead in the first period.
The teams traded second period markers, Bo Lenard for Melfort and Davis Vandane replying on the powerplay for the Terriers to complete the game scoring.
Cassan said the Terriers played both Showcase games hard. He said the weekend might have been about showcasing players to college and pro scouts, but his players kept the team first.
"All the guys played to win those games. They played hard as a team," he said.
The wins were good ones, added the Terrier coach.
"We played two really good opponents. Melfort is one of the top teams in the other division, and Flin Flon is one of the hottest teams in the league."
Cassan said obviously in allowing only two goals in two games the Terrier defence sparkled."We got good goaltending on the weekend," he said.
Cassan said against Melfort the Terriers carried the play in the first period, but the Mustangs had a strong second period when Peters was the difference.
Against Flin Flon, Cassan said Shymko stepped up with a big game after not starting for three weeks, a time he even missed several practices fighting a bug.
"Right from the start of the game you could tell he was on," said the Terrier coach.In both games the defence were there to help their netminders.
Cassan said his defensive corps, "takes a lot of pride in the defensive zone."
Last Tuesday
The Terriers hosted Battlefords at the Farrell Agencies Arena last Tuesday, (Nov. 30), with six scorers, helping Yorkton to a 7-4 win.
Breitkreuz led the way with a pair of goals, while Blaine Tendler, Riley Paterson, Justin Lamontagne, Nathan Murray, and Robbie Ciolfi added singles in the win.
Peters had the win in the Terrier net facing 25 shots.
Up next
The Terriers have no games scheduled this week. Their next action is next Wednesday, Dec. 15 when Melfort visits the Farrell Agencies Arena.
