The Melville Millionaires opened their season series with the defending champion Melfort Mustangs in convincing fashion, skating to a 5–2 win Friday night.
Wesley Olson put the Mils on the board early, sliding in his third of the year at 7:19 of the first. Melville doubled the lead in the final minute of the period when Kale Margolis finished a cross-ice feed from Rylan Oatman for his 13th, sending the home side into the intermission up 2–0.
In the second, Nathan Taylor pushed the lead to three after capitalizing on a miscue between the Mustangs’ goalie and defenceman. Taylor struck again just 1:44 into the third when his shot pinballed past Melfort netminder Madden Mullawka. Oatman added another less than seven minutes later to make it 5–0.
Melfort’s Danton Cox scored twice in the back half of the third to close the gap, but Melville held firm.
Matthew Spencer-Dahl earned his third straight victory with a 29-save performance. Mullawka finished with 20 stops in the loss. The teams meet again Saturday in Melville.
Elsewhere, the Yorkton Terriers opened their weekend road swing with a 4–2 setback in Kindersley. Brett O’Halloran made 31 saves for the Klippers, who got goals from Avery Johnson, Mason Eggen, Ethan Sautner, and Pryce Thiessen.
Yorkton’s markers came from Gabriel Courchesne and rookie Dylan Ruff, who notched his first SJHL goal. Alexandro Montoya stopped 34 in the loss. The rematch goes Saturday in Kindersley.
In other action, Gage Roberts turned aside 45 shots and Eric Hoiness posted a goal and two helpers as Nipawin beat Flin Flon 5–2.
Pherson Loehndorf scored the winner with 12:46 remaining to lift Warman past La Ronge 2–1.
And the Battlefords North Stars got goals from five different players, while Steele Bass made 44 saves in a 5–3 win over the Estevan Bruins.
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