Canalta Cup Final Preview-- Melville Millioniares vs. Yorkton Terriers

"Highway 10 Super Series"
Regular Season: Yorkton Terriers (37-12-2-5) = 81 points vs. Melville Millionaires (34-16-2-4)= 74 points

How did they Get Here?

--> Yorkton Terriers defeated the Notre Dame Hounds in 5 games in the SJHL Quarter-final, then beat the Humboldt Broncos in 5 games in the SJHL Semi-Final.

--> The Melville Millionaires swept the Kindersley Klippers in 4 games in the SJHL Quarter-Final, then beat the Battlefords North Stars in 5 Games in their SJHL Semi-Final Series.

Regular Season Head-to-Head
Oct 11th- Melville over Yorkton 4-1
Oct 12th- Yorkton over Melville 3-2 OT
Nov 22nd- Yorkton over Melville 3-2 OT
Nov 23rd- Yorkton over Melville 3-2
Dec 30th- Melville over Yorkton 4-2
Jan 1st- Yorkton over Melville 3-1
Feb 7th- Yorkton over Melville 3-1
Feb 8th- Yorkton over Melville 4-3

Terriers: 6-2-0
Mils: 2-4-2
Top Scorers (Playoffs)

Terriers:

#5 Chase Norrish- 7G  7A= 14 points
#23 Brett Boehm-  8G  5A= 13 points
#27 Tyler Giebel-  2G  9A= 11 points
#26 Kailum Gervais, #10 Brady Norrish & #91 Tayler Thompson all tied with 7 points each.

Goalies: #30 Kale Thomson- (8-2-0)   2.14 GAA   0.924 SV%
#29 Riley Medves-

Mils:
#9 Kelvin Walz-  0G  11A= 11 points
#22 Lane Harbor-  5G  3A= 8 points
#23 Reed Murray-  4G  3A= 7 points
#10 Colin Mospanchuk-  2G  4A= 6 points
#15 Allan Kilback & #3 Alec Brandrup both have 5 points each.

Goalies: #34 Isaiah Plett- (7-1-0)   1.92GAA   0.939 SV%   1SO
                     #35 Richard Palmer- (1-0-0)   0.00GAA   1.000 SV%  1SO

Series Schedule

Game 1) Fri. Apr 11th- Melville @ Yorkton-   7:15/7:30 FAA   (GX94)
Game 2) Sat. Apr 12th- Yorkton @ Melville -   7:15/7:30 HCUC   (GX94)
Game 3) Mon. Apr 14th- Melville @ Yorkton-   7:15/7:30 FAA   (GX94)
Game 4)Wed. Apr 16th- Yorkton @ Melville-   7:15/7:30 HCUC   (GX94)
**Game 5) Fri. Apr 18th- Melville @ Yorkton-   7:15/7:30 FAA   (GX94)
** Game 6) Sat. Apr 19th- Yorkton @ Melville-   7:15/7:30 HCUC   (GX94)
** Game 7) Mon. Apr 21st- Melville @ Yorkton-   7:15/7:30 FAA   (GX94)

(GX94)--> Broadcast on GX94 radio, or listen live online at gx94radio.com

Analysis:

Its one of the most anticipated match-ups in Junior hockey history and for the first time, the two Highway 10 rivals the Melville Millionaires and Yorkton Terriers will battle it out for the Canalta Cup Championship.

Both teams have advanced to this championship final in dominant fashion during the playoffs , the Yorkton Terriers defeated the Notre Dame Hounds and Humboldt Broncos in 5 games in their Quarter & Semi-Finals respectively. Meanwhile the Melville Millionaires swept their opening round Quarter-Final series vs. the Kindersley before defeated the Battlefords North Stars 4 games to 1 in the semi-final round.

The Terriers up front have been led by the efforts of 19 year old Brett Boehm who after a quiet first round series, came on  in the 2nd round scoring 7 goals and 10 points in their seni-final win over Humboldt. Also upfront, Tyler Giebel and Kailum Gervais have been chipping in on a regular basis in the post season while Dylan Johnson and  Jordan Ross have scored some big goals in these playoffs. One status up in the air, is that of 20 year old Tayler Thompson who missed the final 2 games of the Semi-Final series'. For the Moneymen, Lane Harbor has been a pleasant surprise for the Mils' and has proved he is a playoff player leading the Mils in goals in the playoffs with 5, while centerman Allan Kilback and Kelvin Walz have been their consistent selves. Like the Terriers, the Mils have a 20 year vet forwards whose status is still up in the air, as captain Colin Mospanchuk who was knocked out of Game 4 of their Semi-Final series after taking a big hit from Stars' F Cam Blair, didn't play in the teams clinching Game 5 victory.

On the backend, the Terriers are led by reigning SJHL Defenceman of the Year Chase Norrish who after a very successful regular season, has maybe even topped that play with now leading the playoffs in scoring with 7 goals and 14 points that includes a couple of OT winners in their 2nd round win over Humboldt. Chase's Twin brother Brady and Captain Devon McMullen are no slouches either and have the ability to control the series' from the backend Tanner Lischynsky, Dylan Baer and Dallas Rossiter complete a very deep backend. For the Mils', the play of Adam Koopman who has been getting better and better as the playoffs go on, especially in Game 5, where he might've played his best game as a Millionaires. The Mils will also need to get offence from the backend to be successful from the likes Adam Dibella, Alec Brandrup, Simon Genereau, Cole Berreth and Matt Carr.

In once again, what might be the most intriguing matchups of a series is in between the pipes where Isaiah Plett has been outstanding in these playoffs with a  7-1 record and a GAA of under 2, with the only thing stopping him was an illness that prevented him from starting the Game 5 clinching victory but that's when his backup Richard Palmer stepped up in his 1st Junior A playoff start record a shutout. Then on the other side the Terriers boast the SJHL's Goalie of the Year in Kale Thomson who at times in the playoffs hasn't been his usual self giving up 5 and 6 goals respectively in the Semis, but has showed for most of the postseason that he  is the SJHL's most elite puckstopper.

So for one club they are looking to repeat as SJHL Champs, and earn a trip back to the Western Canada Cup, while the other is trying to capture that first league title in team history. It should be a dandy of a matchup  and just great overall series' for both teams.

**Winner of this series will be advance as the SJHL rep to the 2014 Crescent Point Energy Western Canada Cup starting April 26th in Dauphin, Manitoba.

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Terriers Coaches Show/Series Preview with Terriers Head Coach Trent Cassan 

Mils Coaches Show/Series Preview with Mils Head Coach/GM Jamie Fiesel