The Yorkton RawTec Maulers have won their first game played in 2019.
The Saskatchewan AAA Midget Hockey League victory came Sunday afternoon at the Farrell Agencies Arena against the visiting Battlefords Stars.
The visitors took a 2-0 lead to the dressing room after the opening period as Brendan Albert scored a powerplay marker, and Colby Ralston scored with 4:01 left in the frame.
A powerplay goal by Josh Peppler 1:29 into the second put the Maulers on the scoreboard, and an unassisted marker by Massen Ziola tied the game at 9:40.
But then with 3:27 left on the clock in the second Cole Youngman gave the Stars a 3-2 lead.
It was 5:24 into the third when Ziola scored his second of the game to knot the score 3-3.
Then 21-seconds later Carter Dereniwsky scored what would prove the game-winner for the Maulers.
Anthony Roebuck would add a powerplay goal with 1:42 as an insurance marker as Yorkton won 5-3.
Kale DePape was the winning netminder facing 27 shots in the Yorkton net.
Mauler head coach Dalane Lamb said he had hoped the Christmas break would be good for his team using it as a time to “get recharged”.
Coming back from the break “we had three really good practices” and it had the Maulers ready.
In the game the Maulers did get down early, but they weren’t outplayed.
Lamb said the team outplayed the visitors having a couple of posts and a missed open net in the first period.
“We were sort of snake bitten,” he said.
In the dressing room after 20-minutes Lamb said he simply told the team to keep working as hard as they had in the first period and results would come.
And the results came as the Maulers tied the game, although would fall behind 3-2 before the end of the second frame.
“We came through in the third after being down again,” said Lamb.
Lamb said that is the positive he has seen since taking the head coaching role.
“The boys have kept playing and found a way back into games,” he said.
The Maulers record now sits at 5-25 for 10 points last in the league standings, four points back of the Notre Dame Argos.
The Saskatoon Blazers top the league with 52 points.
Up next
The Maulers will be in Wilcox Thursday to play the Notre Dame Hounds, and next Wednesday, (Jan. 16), head to Tisdale to face the Trojans.
