As the games went on it seemed like we lost our legs and just didn鈥檛 have a high enough compete level to come back...
鈥� Graham Garrett
Head coach, RawTec Maulers
For the first time since the 2009/10 SMAAAHL season the Yorkton RawTec Maulers (then Harvest) spent their Christmas break in Calgary competing in the prestigious Mac鈥檚 Midget 鈥楢AA鈥� World Invitational Tournament.
While there the Maulers 鈥� who sit in fourth place in the SMAAAHL standings with a record of 18-9-1 - put together a 1-3 record, opening the tournament up with a 4-1 loss to the Foothills CFR Chemical Bisons despite scoring the first goal of the game, an even strength marker off the stick of Derrick Budz.
The second game of the competition was a must-win if the Maulers were to have any hope of advancing to the playoff stage.
Once again Budz opened the scoring for Yorkton, putting the puck past Cariboo goaltender Kazuma Luding within the first minute of play, however the Maulers could not add to their lead.
Instead, they gave up two goals before Keenan Taphorn tallied to even the game, but two more Cariboo markers made it a 4-2 final for the defending Mac鈥檚 champions, dropping the RawTec Maulers鈥� record to 0-2 and officially eliminating them from playoff contention. 鈥淭he first period in the first two games we came out and scored the first goal and had lots of opportunities to get that second goal and we weren鈥檛 able to do it,鈥� RawTec Mauler head coach Graham Garrett told Yorkton This Week after the completion of the tournament, suggesting that his team simply ran out of gas in the latter stages of their games. 鈥淎s the games went on it seemed like we lost our legs and just didn鈥檛 have a high enough compete level to come back and score some goals and that鈥檚 what cost us.鈥�
The third game of the tournament saw the RawTec Maulers take on the California-based Ontario Avalanche.
Yorkton fell behind early in the game as Avalanche forward Deven Mathiesen beat Mauler net minder Jordan Schmuland to give the Californians a one goal advantage; an advantage that lasted for 26 seconds as Kaeden Taphorn drew the Maulers even at one.
Taylor Elmy made it 2-1 Yorkton with just over five minutes left in the first frame, but the Avs tied the game not long after as Jeremiah Van Dyke tallied to make it 2-2.
A scoreless second period sent the game into the final period tied at two; a tie that Elmy broke with 12:40 left in the game when he put the puck past Cody Murch for his second of the game 鈥� this one the game winner.
Schmuland made 11 saves for his first Mac鈥檚 Tournament win.
In the fourth and final game the RawTec Maulers faced the top team in the Alberta 鈥楢AA鈥� league, the Lloydminster Bandit Pipeline Bobcats.
Yorkton led 2-0 after one period on goals by Drayson Skulmoski and Derrick Budz, but Lloydminster cut the Mauler lead in half early in the second period on a power play goal by Logan Ganie.
The Maulers responded with a power play goal of their own soon after as Kaeden Taphorn restored the Yorkton two goal advantage, but a second Bobcat power play goal, this one off the stick of Bryce Kindropp, made it 3-2 Yorkton after 40 minutes.
A second Kaeden Taphorn goal made it 4-2 Yorkton, but a trio of Lloyminster goals in the latter stages of the third period put the Bobcats ahead 5-4.
Despite a mad scramble in front of the Lloydminster net late the Maulers could not find a way to even the score, resulting in their third and final loss of the tournament.
Record aside however, the chance to play some of the top midget 鈥楢AA鈥� teams from the western provinces gave the Maulers some valuable experience; something that head coach Garrett expects will benefit them throughout the rest of the season, as well as next year鈥檚 Mac鈥檚 tournament. 鈥淔or everybody that was there, that was the first year for them being at the Mac鈥檚 and now they know what it takes to win at that level, and I think that will help us in the playoff run,鈥� said Garrett, adding that next year the goal isn鈥檛 to just gain experience at the Mac鈥檚, but to win it. 鈥�. Next year our goal will be to go there and compete at a higher level and some of the guys that we have this year will be there next year and they鈥檒l know what it鈥檚 about and they鈥檒l be able to get some of the other guys on board with what needs to happen in order to win instead of just compete.鈥�
Leading the way for the Maulers at the 2015 Mac鈥檚 Tournament was Kaeden Taphorn, who scored three goals and added one assist. Budz scored three goals while Damian Bentz and 鈥楢P鈥� call-up Aiden Bulych, who plays for the Yorkton Xerox Terriers (Bantam 鈥楢A鈥�) both registered three assists in the tournament.
Goaltending wise, Schmuland went 1-1 with a 3.03 goals against average while Alex Geddes had a rough time, going 0-2 with a GAA of 7.01.
Up next
The Yorkton RawTec Maulers (18-9-1) begin the 2016 portion of their regular season tomorrow (Thursday) in Regina against the league-leading Pat Canadians (19-5-3).
They鈥檒l continue their road trip on the weekend, first taking on the Beardy鈥檚 Blackhawks (12-13-2) on Saturday at the Willow Cree Memorial Sports Centre in Duck Lake before travelling to Prince Albert Sunday afternoon for a date with the Mintos (17-8-2).
