The Yorkton Terriers erased a two-goal deficit to stun the Battlefords North Stars 3–2 in Game 1 of their second-round series Friday night at Westland Insurance Arena.
Battlefords opened the scoring midway through the first after a Brett Buckley tripping penalty. Alessio Nardelli wired a point shot through traffic past Callum Creig for his fifth of the playoffs, giving the visitors a 1–0 lead after one.
The North Stars doubled their advantage in the second when Josh Knittig buried his own rebound on the backhand for his fifth of the postseason, making it 2–0.
Yorkton answered late in the middle frame, as 16-year-old affiliate Trae Peterson of Sturgis stepped in from the half wall and snapped a short-side goal past Kaeden Serpa for his first SJHL tally, cutting the deficit to 2–1.
The Terriers carried that momentum into the third. Peterson dug the puck free behind the net and fed Cash Lanigan in front, who buried his second of the playoffs to tie the game 2–2.
Jye Zawatsky completed the comeback with 10:31 remaining, stepping into the slot and lifting a backhand over Serpa’s right shoulder for the game-winner.
Creig finished with 30 saves on 33 shots for his fifth win of the playoffs, while Serpa stopped 29 in defeat. The loss marked the first time this season the North Stars have dropped a game when leading after two periods.
Game 2 goes back in Yorkton before the series shifts to North Battleford for Games 3 and 4.
Red Wings 2, Bombers 0
In Flin Flon, a long-standing home-ice streak finally came to an end.
Joey Rocha turned aside all 37 shots he faced for his first career playoff shutout, leading the Weyburn Red Wings to a 2–0 win over the Flin Flon Bombers in Game 1 at the Whitney Forum.
Dion Schraeder opened the scoring late in the second, as a Will Munro centring attempt deflected off him and in at 18:07—standing as the game-winner.
Callas Pierce sealed it into an empty net with 25 seconds remaining.
The loss marked Flin Flon’s first regulation defeat at home all season, ending a dominant 29-0-1 run at the Whitney Forum spanning the regular season and opening round.
Charlie Tritt made 23 saves in the loss.
Game 2 goes Saturday night in Flin Flon, with Weyburn holding a 1–0 series lead.
