ESTEVAN - The Estevan Bruins faced the La Ronge Ice Wolves for the second time in four nights Saturday at Affinity Place, but this time it would be La Ronge skating away with a 3-2 victory.
The Bruins struck early, when Mitch Kohner opened the scoring 24 seconds into the first period, but Mason Bueckert tied the game for La Ronge just over four minutes later.
La Ronge’s Dylan Handel scored twice in the second to give the Ice Wolves a 3-1 advantage with just over seven minutes to play in the middle frame. Ilia Chmelevski notched his first goal in the SJHL in the final minute of the period to pull the Bruins to within one.
Neither team scored in the third. The Bruins had a brief two-man advantage midway through the third period, and did generate 10 shots on goal in the frame, but couldn’t score. And the Ice Wolves had the puck in the Bruins’ zone for most of the final two minutes.
Cam Hrdlicka had 17 saves for the Bruins. Dawson Smith stopped 29 shots for La Ronge.
Estevan blanked La Ronge 4-0 on Wednesday night. Saturday’s game has the abrasiveness and physical play that one would expect between two teams meeting for the second time in 72 hours, with a fight and scrums after the whistle.
The Bruins will be back on the ice when they host the Kindersley Klippers Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. Both games will be at Affinity Place.
