On Saturday June 4 at the Kinsmen Arena, a lacrosse game took place between Yorkton and Regina. Tyson Haas shown a little bit more of that 'never-say-die' attitude that just makes sports so awesome to watch.
The pint-sized forward that helps put some serious bite into the dog, stepped up for both himself and his teammates at least twice this season.
He's like hockey's Sean Avery in that he won't take anything from anyone he doesn't like and does what it takes. The team doesn't always win of course, but Avery and Haas never make it easy.
He plays hard and helps fulfill that huge role on any given team, hockey, lacrosse, whatever the sport.
He's not that big but sure plays like he is.
No matter how big the other player is, Haas will go at it with anybody and usually holds his own as well as bringing a few fans in the stands to their feet too.
Haas' past two fights have been against players much bigger then he is.
"He plays hard," observed his coach following a 9-5 loss to the Predators Sunday afternoon at the Kinsmen Arena which has been better attended for Junior lacrosse for the 2011 season.
"He's got lots of ambition (and guts)," Choptuik added, despite noting that the fighting doesn't quite work to the team's advantage, "but you have to want the ball," he said.
And like Avery, Haas gets in on the scoring too; registered an assist on his team's second goal scored by Brendon Tuberfield in Saturday's game against Regina. That game got off to a good start too, but had a rough finish as Haas, Tuberfield and friends spent more time in the penalty area then anyone ever should.
In that game, for the record, Haas was responsible for only for four of the 45 minutes in calls made against Bulldogs players; one of them was concerning his mouthguard.
The game was divided into three 20-minute periods. That totals 60 minutes of lacrosse that was played that night and Yorkton spent most of those minutes in the penalty box.
According to the official Saskatchewan Lacrosse game sheet that night, the Yorkton Bulldogs spent 45 minutes in the box.
The first period went by "great" says head coach Joe Choptuik, after that however the penalty calls came down like the rain in Yorkton in the month of June.
As the game wore on, Bulldog players started getting into penalty trouble and wound up spending nearly 3/4s of the game in the box serving time allowing Regina to get back into the game and wound up winning by 7-4.
It was the lowest scoring total for a Bulldog game this season, to which Choptuik said could be credited to the defence.
"The defence was good," he noted of the first half of the game.
The Bulldogs got goal support from Dalton Bakke and Brayden Kaczur in the opening period.
Colton Crone got one back for the Rifles as the teams headed to the dressing rooms with Yorkton holding a 1-0 lead. Both clubs tallied in the second; Justin Genaille sniped two for the home side while Triston Frei and Taylor Frei scored for the Rifles.
Yorkton was kept off the scoresheet for the third period but were not kept out of the penalty box, serving a total of seven calls, including two five-minute majors.
The following date, Yorkton managed to cut down on their penalty calls but that didn't do much better for them because the visiting Prince Albert Predators found ways to score even when they were in the penalty box.
Choptuik said he was more pleased with the efforts of his team considering Prince Albert is currently tied for top spot in the Prairie Gold Lacrosse League.
Aside from Haas' bout that day, Yorkton managed to pick up some power play time however that didn't do anybody any good because Prince Albert was the one to score, four goals while playing down a man.
Choptuik said it was an obstacle for both teams to overcome considering the floor was slippery and players from both teams both took turns taking wipeouts, including the Prince Albert netminder.
Choptuik said it's only been a problem for the Bulldogs on home floor.
Even with special teams not being very friendly, Yorkton was successful in keeping the Preds under the 10-goal mark. Each of Yorkton's games this season have seen them score or give up at least 10 goals. Four of Yorkton's six games this season have seen the teams combine for at least 20 goals.
Choptuik said it was good that they held the high-scoring Predators to under 10 and that it's good that they will be heading out on the road for two games in Saskatoon, one against the Smash and one with the Steelers.
"Yes," he said when asked if he's looking forward to leaving home for a weekend. "Because we play both Saskatoon teams."
PROTEST
The Bulldogs were awarded a point following their protested game from May 19 when the club travelled to Regina for what was their second game of the season, their first of two matches against the Rifles.
Bulldog Zack Soke had scored with 57 seconds left in the game however game officials credited the goal to Regina and went on to win the game.
Choptuik said the team had filed a league protest with the referees afterwards and was told just before this past weekend's game that the Bulldogs were awarded a point out of the game.
He told Yorkton This Week that it still wasn't fair in that the Bulldogs were winning the game with less than a minute left.
"No," he said when asked if he's happy with the outcome. "The protested game is a tie."
In the rematch in Yorkton over the weekend, Yorkton got into penalty trouble in the middle frame and it wound up costing them a possible victory.
"It was the same with the third (period)," he said. "It was great for the first half.
