The Yorkton RawTec Maulers of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League hosted two home games this past weekend 鈥� a series against the Battlefords Stars.
The Maulers fell to the Stars in both games, but coach Graham Garrett said Sunday鈥檚 game was the best 60 minutes of hockey the team had played all year.
Saturday鈥檚 game went to a shootout between the two teams. After 60 minutes of regulation play, the score was tied 3-3.
Yorkton was the only team to score in the first period. The goal came from Kaleb Bulych, with assists from Derrick Budz and MacKenzie Walkington.
Battlefords racked up two in the second period.
The third period saw two goals from the Maulers, both from Derrick Budz, with the assists coming from MacKenzie Walkington and Kaleb Bulych. The Stars also scored in the third, pushing the score to a tie.
In the shootout, no Maulers were able to connect with the back of the net. Only one player from Battlefords scored, but that was all they needed to take the win.
Sunday鈥檚 game ended with a score of 4-3 for the Stars after regulation time.
In the first period, the Stars were able to grab the lead, scoring the only two goals in the first.
In the second period, Battlefords聽 scored the first goal, but Yorkton responded one minute later with a goal from Max Gudnason, with the assists coming from Kaedan Korczak and Derrick Budz. But, Battlefords retaliated again and scored, pushing the score 4-1.
In the third, Yorkton came out strong and took control of the play. They scored the only two goals in of the final period. Ryder Pierson scored on a powerplay, with the assists from Aiden Bulych and Keenan Sperling. With about two minutes left in the game, Trey Bear scored with assists from Beau Stevenson and Kaleb Bulych.
It wouldn鈥檛 be enough for the Maulers to take the win, so they fell 4-3.
After Sunday鈥檚 game, Graham Garrett had nothing but positive things to say about his Maulers.
鈥淯nfortunately, we didn鈥檛 get the result, but we can鈥檛 lose perspective of how we played as a team,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 thought their goaltender came in here, he hasn鈥檛 played a lot for them this year, he got stuck in a situation and made the best of an opportunity and stole the game for Battlefords.鈥�
Defenseman Austin Shumanski was the player who impressed Garrett in Sunday鈥檚 game.
鈥淚 thought that we all played extremely well. We had so many good looks, we created so many opportunities with speed, with puck movement, with pressure and creating turnovers. That doesn鈥檛 come by one individual,鈥� he said.
鈥淭he character of the guys to come back in the third period, and completely dominate the period, it gave us a chance to get back in there 鈥� you can鈥檛 ask much more of the players.鈥�
The RawTec Maulers hit the road for their next two games, but will be back in Yorkton at the Farrell Agencies Arena for one more game before the Christmas break. They will face the Prince Albert Mintos on Sunday, Dec. 18 at 2 p.m.
