The Highway 10 rivalry in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League heated up for a final time in the regular season with a home-and-home set on the weekend.
Friday the teams faced off at the Horizon Credit Union Centre in Melville.
Brandon Sookro gave the Terriers a 1-0 lead 12:11 into the game, but it was a short-lived lead as Keegan Milligan replied for the Mils on the powerplay at 16:11.
The game would remain knotted 1-1 through the second, with Melville finally pulling ahead with a goal by Cole Filler 6:17 into the third.
That lead would hold until 18:28 when Corwin Stevely would notch a Terrier goal.
The 2-2 would hold through the last 92-seconds of regulation, forcing the game to a five-minute, four-on-four overtime.
Yorkton would out-shoot the Millionaires 6-1 in the five-minutes of extra time, but neither team would manage a goal, leaving the decision of the game to the fates of a shoot-out.
The Terriers would not find a way to get one past Brandon Wells in the Mils goal on three shoot-out tries, but Filler would score on Terrier netminder Jakob Severson sending the hometown fans home happy as the Millionaires secured a 3-2 win.
Wells would face 33-shots in the backstopping the win, while Severson saw 26.
鈥淲e had a good first period,鈥� said Terrier head coach Trent Cassan, adding the rest of the way the Terriers faded somewhat. 鈥淲e really didn鈥檛 have much push back on the second and third.鈥�
But they stayed in the game.
鈥淭hen Corwin (Stevely) stepped up and got us to overtime,鈥� said Cassan, noting that gave the Terriers a big OT loss point.
The rivals were back at it Saturday in a rare afternoon tilt at the Farrell Agencies Arena in Yorkton.
Filler was back on the scoresheet for the Mils scoring the lone goal of the opening period. It was a powerplay marker 7:27 into the action.
Brandon Sookro tied the game on a Terrier powerplay 13:41 into the second.
Liam Shaw restored a Melville lead at 15:19, only to see the Terrier powerplay again knot the contest. This time McKenzie Welke was the marksman at 18:06.
The game stayed tied until the Terriers again used the powerplay to good advantage Sookro scoring his second of the contest, and 25th of the season at 16:03 of the third. It would prove the eventual game-winner.
Matt Kustra earned the win in the Terrier net facing 24-shots, while Wells took the loss for Melville facing 32.
Sookro said the Terriers knew Saturday鈥檚 game was important.
鈥淲e came into this game thinking it was a must win,鈥� he said, adding they knew they needed a regulation win to keep Melville from getting a point in OT.
鈥淲e were treating it like a playoff game for sure.鈥�
Cassan said the two games were what he had anticipated.
鈥淲e knew it was going to be a real tough weekend,鈥� he said. 鈥溾�� We needed a win here today to win the series.鈥�
Cassan noted in case of a tie come season end head-to-head series records are the first tie breaker, so winning the season set against the Mils was important, and it meant the Parks Jewellery Trophy once again resides in Yorkton, emblematic of winning the regular season series.
Saturday鈥檚 game was a gritty affair, and Cassan said officiating may have played a role in that.
鈥淎 few calls both ways had both fans and teams into it,鈥� he said. 鈥溾�� The game had sort of a playoff-style feel.鈥�
Cassan said the team鈥檚 veterans showed they wanted the win Saturday.
鈥淥ur older guys really stepped up,鈥� he said.
Sookro said the Terriers are improving as the season moves into its final weeks, and that comes with attention to detail.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to do all the little things right,鈥� he said, adding 鈥溾�uys are just digging down and doing whatever we have to do.鈥�
That is what will be needed, suggested Cassan, who said for the rest of February the Terriers will treat the rest if the regular season schedule as playoff games.
鈥淚 want to see us get into the playoffs,鈥� said the Terrier head coach. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the first goal.鈥�
That will mean being prepared by the run to the playoffs.
As for his own success, 25-goals as a 19-year-old, Sookro was quick to credit his line mates, then added of late especially he has been finding open ice where he can make things happen.
鈥淩ight now I feel like I鈥檓 getting open ice,鈥� he said, adding success tends to create more success 鈥溾�� I think when you have confidence the puck is going to come to you more often.
Tuesday win
The Yorkton Terriers went into last Tuesday鈥檚 game hosting Flin Flon having not scored a goal in two games.
It took only 7:13 for Jordan McCausland to change that, giving the home team a 1-0 lead over the Bombers.
Brandon Sookro made it two-zip at 9:16.
Tyson Empey at 13:46, and Alex Smith at 17:17 would knots the score at two headed to the first intermission.
It would be a scoreless second frame, with the eventual game-winner coming from Jordan Ross鈥� stick 18:25 into the third, for a 3-2 Terrier win.
Jakob Severson had the win the Yorkton net facing 39-shots, while Zac Robidoux was tagged with the loss.
Playoff spot
With a five-point week Yorkton now sits 10-points in front of Melville, with 33, for third spot in the Viterra Division, and the same 10 above Humboldt in terms of the 10th and final playoff spot.
Weyburn sits atop the Viterra with 73 points, with Estevan second having 59.
Up next
Yorkton was scheduled to host Estevan last night (Tuesday), but results were not available at press time.
Friday the Terriers head to North Battleford to face the North Stars, and then swing south to play Kindersley Saturday.
