The Yorkton Terriers of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League played three games in the past week. Two of which were on the road as they traveled to Macklin on Thursday, Dec. 8 for a neutral site game against the Kindersley Klippers, and then to Battlefords to play the North Stars on Friday.
Both away games were losses for the Terriers. They fell to the Klippers 5-2 and to the North Stars 2-0. The Terriers鈥� goals against Kindersley were scored by Jordan Ross and Corwin Stevely.
However on Sunday, Dec. 11 the Terriers returned to their home ice at the Farrell Agencies Arena, where they faced the Humboldt Broncos for the fourth time this season. In the past, the Broncos came out on top of their matchups but this time the Terriers took the win with a final score of 4-3.
In the first period, the Terriers grabbed the lead by scoring two goals in the last few minutes of play. The first goal was scored by McKenzie Welke, with assists coming from Carson Welke and Cole Keenleyside. The second goal came from Cole Keenleyside, with assists from McKenzie Welke and Carson Welke.
In the second, Humboldt came out on a powerplay and scored their first goal, bringing the score to 2-1. The Terriers responded three minutes later with a goal from LJ Naccarato 鈥� his first of the season. Assists came from Reid Anderson and Quinton Hobbs. Late in the second, the Terriers scored again. This goal came from Carson Welke, with assists from Cole Keenleyside and McKenzie Welke. But with three minutes left in the period, the Broncos scored another. The second would end with a score of 4-2.
In the third period, Humboldt was able to get one more goal with three minutes remaining in the game. The Terriers also scored again, but a questionable call from the referees resulted in no goal 鈥� so the score would remain 4-3.
After the game on Sunday, Terriers鈥� head coach and GM Casey O鈥橞rien said the level of play in that game was much better than the two games they played on the road.
鈥淲e had a slow start, Humboldt took it to us for the first five to seven minutes, but once we got our legs under us I think we started to skate as well as them,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was a pretty evenly matched game 鈥� both goalies played well.鈥�
The Welke twins, Carson and McKenzie, have been racking up a noticeable amount of points over the past few weeks. In Sunday鈥檚 game alone, each gained three points. O鈥橞rien said this is something they were hoping to see from the two young players.
鈥淭hey鈥檝e raised their game, and their offense is really starting to come around,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about finding chemistry. We鈥檝e had so many injuries, guys fighting the flu and whatnot, so our lines have been juggled. But Cole Keenleyside, on the right side there, seems to be something that鈥檚 clicking with them.鈥�
The Terriers play just two more games before Christmas break. They play on Wednesday, Dec. 14 against the Melfort Mustangs at the Farrell Agencies Arena in Yorkton at 7:30 p.m. Then, they鈥檒l be looking for redemption when they face the Battlefords North Stars on home ice on Saturday, Dec. 17. The puck will drop for that game at 7:30 p.m.
