Game Day For T-Dogs

It's off to Weyburn tonight for Game 1 of the Sherwood Conference Semi-Final.

The numbers don't exactly favour the Terriers, having gone 1-and-5 against Weyburn this season, including 0-and-3 in Weyburn. They scored just 9 goals in 6 games against the Wings, and 4 goals in 3 games at Crescent Point Place.

But as the saying goes, that was then, this is now.

The Terriers seem to have found some offense, scoring 16 times in 4 games in a 3-1 Survivor Series win over the Melville Millionaires.

Quickly scanning the SJHL regular season stats, The Terriers and Wings were the only two teams in the league this season to have THREE goalies record shutouts with them this season (infact only Battleford had two goalies do it, no one else had more than one). Luke Boechler recorded three shutouts, while Devin Peters and Joel Danyluk each had one. For Weyburn, A.J. Whiffen had a season-high 4, Tanner Erickson had 2, and Mitch Kilgore, who played only the final game of the regular season, recorded a shutout in his first and only SJHL start. As teams, Weyburn's 7 shutouts ranked first in the SJHL, while Yorkton was second with 5.

Behind the bench, Dwight MacMillan began coaching in Weyburn (Jr 'B') in 1967, and started with the Junior 'A' Red Wings in 1972. Yorkton Coach Trent Cassan was born in 1983, but proved age is only a number, leading Yorkton to a Survivor Series win already.

"There's no pressure on us as a team right now, and I don't feel any of that pressure," says Cassan. "I'm excited for the opportunity that's infront of us, and I've got a great Assistant with me in Danny (McKay), who's been around a long time and I've drawn off his experience, he's helped me along the way, and we're a team. As far as on-ice matchups, I'm confident with the 4 lines and 6 defense we can throw out there. We'll just go out there and play with no pressure. Guys are enjoying it right now and hopefully we'll keep it rollin'"

"Weyburn's a formidable opponent, we're definitely going in there as underdogs. They won the President's Trophy (regular season points). They're very well coached obviously, Dwight's seen it all, they've got two solid goaltenders, and there aren't many, if any holes on their team."

Join us for the Pre Game Show at 7:15 tonight, Play by Play at 7:30. We'll talk to both Coaches on the Pre Game Show, a 'yet-to-be-determined' Terrier during the first Intermission, and Voice of the Red Wings Kevin Smith after the second period.

Talk to you then!

**P.S., as of about 10:00 this am, the fan bus was just over half-full, so if you're reading this early in the afternoon, you've still got time to get your $50 bus ticket (includes a game ticket). You'd probably spend about that on gas/ticket anyway, and this way you can take full advantage of Crescent Point Place's great Beer Concessions right on the concourse, and have a safe ride home! The Beer Gardens are right outside the broadcast booth, and NO I don't partake!