Yorkton and Melville met Saturday at the Westland Arena with the home side taking a 1-0 lead on a goal by Tanner Sklaruk at the 19-minute mark of the first period.
The Millionaires knotted the score 1-1 on a goal by Zach Cain at 5:47 in the second.
Melville took the lead at 14:30 in the middle frame as Cain struck for his second of the contest.
Then 1:10 later in was a 3-1 lead for the visitors on a goal by Jonathan Krahn.
The Terriers climbed closer late in the second period when a goal by Kishaun Gervais at 17:22 made it a 3-2 score, and then Gervais scored his second goal to tie the contest going to the dressing rooms after 40-minutes of play. The tying goal came at 18:43.
The only goal of the third period came from the stick of Carter McKay at 5:49 to give the Mills the win 4-3.
Kael DePape took the loss in the Terrier nets facing 24 shots, while Jared Thompson earned the win for Melville facing 24.
Terrier head coach Mat Hehr said in spite of the loss there were some positives.
“We’ve been playing very well defensively,” he said, adding they have been consistent in holding teams to 25-shots or less.
But, in other areas Hehr had concerns.
“There are parts of our game where we’ve got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot,” he said, adding at times the team simply misfires. “. . . It’s just the breakdowns that have hurt us.”
Those breakdowns include bad penalties, as occurred in the third period where twice the Terriers were applying some offensive pressure and were called for penalties.
“If they’re taking a penalty it better be to stop a goal,” he said, adding O-zone penalties are not acceptable.
Hehr also said at times the team doesn’t seem hungry enough.
“We get up by a goal and it seems like everybody is satisfied,” he said.
Still, the try is there, said Hehr.
One thing I can say about this team I’ve never seen them quit once. There’s absolutely no quit in these guys,” he said.
Friday in Melville
Things started well for the host Millionaires Friday with the ‘Zach-Attack’ taking over in the opening period.
Zach McIntyre scored unassisted 4:05 into the contest and Zach Cain added one at 17:05 to send the Mills to the dressing room up 2-0 after 20-minutes.
In the second frame the Terriers cut the lead in half when Maddux Nollski scored the only goal of the frame at 13:02.
It looked like the 2-1 lead would hold as the game entered the final minute of play, until Terrier Karsten Kruska scored to even the contest, eventually sending the game to overtime.
Kruska was back on the score sheet in OT getting one of the assists on Tyson Janzen’s game-winner for the Terriers at 2:41. Colby Vrani was the other helper.
Kael DePape earned the victory in the Terrier net facing 24-shots, while Alexis Giroux was tagged for the loss for Melville facing 37-shots.
