ESTEVAN - The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears had a win and an overtime loss this weekend at home against the Moose Jaw Warriors – one of the teams the Bears are chasing for a playoff spot in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League.
The weekend started with a 5-2 victory over Moose Jaw on Saturday. Estevan came out firing, as Blaze Gutzke, Josh Heistad and Tristan Grohs scored for the Bears in the first period. After Moose Jaw scored once late in the first and another early in the third, Kole Keen scored twice in the final four minutes of the game to put the contest away.
Kaden Perron stopped 29 shots for the victory.
It appeared the Bears would go 2-0 on the weekend, as they led 4-1 midway through the second period Sunday. Josh Heistad and Keen scored in the first, and Gutzke and Teigan Semchyshen had goals in the second. But three goals in six minutes by the Warriors tied the game.
After a scoreless third, Liam Fitzpatrick – the brother of former Estevan Bruin Caelan Fitzpatrick – scored his second of the game midway through overtime.
Perron made 27 saves.
Estevan (7-14-5) sits 10th in the league with 19 points, four behind the Warriors for the final playoff spot.
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The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins picked up two more wins in league play.
The first was a 6-1 victory over the Lumsden-Bethune Lions on Friday. Spencer Copeland scored twice in the first period, and Carter Beck, Emmett McCarthy, Ryker Mathison and Kobe Wotta also scored for Estevan.
Keagan Carley made 22 saves to pick up the win in goal.
Then they edged the Swift Current Broncos 4-3 on Saturday. Lucas Campbell's goal midway through the third was the winner for Estevan. Mathison scored twice and Wotta also scored.
Ty Fehrenbach made 23 saves to earn the win.
The U18 AAs (17-3-2) have two games remaining before Christmas. They will host Weyburn on Dec. 22 at 7:45 p.m. in Carnduff, and visit the Regina Rangers the following night.
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The Estevan TS&M U15 AA Bruins split their weekend games, winning 7-3 over the Melville Millionaires on Saturday but losing 9-2 to the Regina Monarchs on Sunday.
Gunner Moore and Nathan Gardiner each scored twice and added three assists for Estevan against Melville. Porter Crossman, Austin Merkley and Cameron Milbrandt were the other scorers.
Jaxon Kuchinka stopped 13 shots.
The following day, the Monarchs scored six times in the first period for a commanding 6-0 lead. Moore had both goals for Estevan.
Kuchinka stopped 44 of 53 shots he faced.
Estevan was scheduled to visit the Regina Aces on Dec. 20 in their final game before the Christmas break. (Results not available at press time).
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The Estevan Meter U13 AA Bruins fell 6-5 to the Weyburn Wings on Dec. 13 in Weyburn.
Estevan had a 5-3 lead on two goals by Owen Light and markers by Kaleb Crossman, Mason Schmidt and Cooper Hale. But the Wings scored twice before the period was out to tie and added another in the third.
Easton Pushie made 35 saves for Estevan.
Estevan was slated to host the Wings on Dec. 20. (Results not available at press time.)
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The Estevan Ironhorse Energy U11 AA Bruins scored nine times in the first period to crush the Weyburn Wings 15-2 on Dec. 13 in Estevan.
Ethan Phillips finished with six goals and three assists for a nine-point game. Penn Tytlandsvik had four goals and Andin Barlow scored twice. Nash Cameron, Braylon Henry and Payton Molstad had single markers.
Ty Blackburn was in goal for the victory.
The Bruins will play three games in three nights before the Christmas break, as they will visit Weyburn on Dec. 21, play Moosomin in Arcola on Dec. 22 at 6:45 p.m., and host Moosomin on Dec. 23 at 10 a.m. at Affinity Place.
