The Estevan Power Dodge peewee A Vipers, Estevan Prairie Mud peewee A Bruins, Estevan Power Tech midget AA Panthers and Estevan midget A Bruins will all compete on home ice over the next two weeks in the first round of the Saskatchewan Hockey Association provincial playoffs.
The Vipers get things started tonight at the Civic Auditorium with a 7 p.m. first round tilt against a newly constructed Swift Current Cats team, which is comprised of players from both the Ice Cats and Fire Cats that compete against the Vipers in the South Sask Female Hockey League (SSFHL) as well as players from surrounding rural areas. The second game of the two-game total points series goes Feb. 24 in Swift Current.
“We’re expecting a good team to show up,” said Vipers coach Chad Farr, whose team is the defending peewee A provincial champions. “They’re going to have more depth than they do in the league, so we’re expecting that we have to show up to the rink and fight for every inch and foot and make sure that we have the puck on our stick all the time.”
The peewee A Bruins hit the Civic Auditorium ice at 3 p.m. on Saturday for their first game of the two-game total points first round series against the Swift Current Broncos. The peewee A Bruins are comprised of select players from the Estevan Minor Hockey Association’s peewee tier two teams, and have previously played together as a group at an early November tournament in Prince Albert as well as an A-side final championship win at a Winnipeg tournament during the Christmas break.
“We bonded really well in Winnipeg,” said peewee A Bruins coach Shawn Saxon, adding game two goes Feb. 28 in Swift Current. “When they come together they’re hockey minded. They all have the same goal. They want to win and I like their competitiveness. These kids have a great drive to win. I think on Saturday you’re going to see that right from the start.”
Five days after the peewee A Bruins home game, the Panthers will welcome the Regina Capitals to the Civic Auditorium on Feb. 25 for a 6:45 p.m. start in the second game of their two-game total points series. The Capitals, who went 2-0-2 with the Panthers in the SSFHL this season, won the first game of the provincial series 4-3 in Regina on Feb. 4.
“The Capitals are a lower placed team in our (league) standings, but they play a lot of one goal games and they’re on a real winning streak right now,” said Panthers coach Trevor Morrison. “I still feel confident. I feel our team has no problem with coming out with the victory, but it isn’t going to be easy.”
The midget A Bruins begin their two-game total points first round series against the Yorkton Terriers on the road Feb. 26, before coming home for the deciding game on Feb. 28 at 2:30 p.m. at Affinity Place. The Bruins are comprised of select players from the Estevan Tower Wolves and Estevan Bruins tier two teams, with the Terriers also including players from their city’s midget teams.
Midget A Bruins coach Sabe Holzer said the tier two Bruins and Tower Wolves faced the Yorkton clubs at their January tournament with the Bruins walking away with two wins and the Tower Wolves losing an overtime game against one club.
“With our guys who we have, if we come to play, show up and put the effort in (then) we’ll have a good chance to do fine,” said Holzer.
