CARLYLE - Hockey fans in Carlyle were in for a treat on Nov. 29 when the Notre Dame Hounds took on the Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins in what proved to be an electrifying matchup.
This was the third annual game between the two teams at the Carlyle Sports Arena; the contest was organized by the Carlyle Community Complex Foundation as a fundraiser.
Bruins' head coach and general manager Jason Tatarnic was happy to return to Carlyle.
“It is a great place to play hockey and an excellent fundraiser for the community,” he said.
The Bruins won the first Carlyle Cup in 2022 and the Hounds took the win last year.
The game, held in front of a nearly full house, started with Scarlotte Nistor, a Grade 4 student, singing the national anthem.
With nearly five minutes into the first period, and no whistles, it was Notre Dame’s Liam Hunks scoring the first goal with 14:39 to play.
It was soon after that the Hounds received a penalty for tripping, putting the Bruins on a power play. At the 7:03 mark, Michael Carter tied up the game for the Bruins. Five penalties were called during the first period.
The back and forth play continued into the second period, with only one penalty given to the Hounds' Ian Buors when he received a 10-minute misconduct for a mouthguard violation. When the second period ended the score remained 1-1, with a 30-21 edge for the Bruins for shots on goal.
Only three minutes into the third period, Bruins' player Ewan Rennie blasted one into the Hounds net for a 2-1 lead. This was short lived, as Damain Metastasio did the same on the Bruins goalie, once again tying up the game.
Fans started to get louder as the clock was ticking, but it was Anthony Nolan sneaking one past Bruins goalie Benjamin Polhill, giving the Hounds a one-goal lead. Twenty seconds later, Kent Moors slammed one into the Hounds net, tying up the game, bringing the crowd alive with cheers. No penalties were assessed in the third.
These players poured it on in the three-on-three overtime, but efforts were not rewarded after five minutes of overtime, and the game went into a shootout.
Bruins player Kaelen Whittingham was the first shooter, and he tried his best to get one past, but failed. It was then Hudson Kerr, and he too could not get the job done for the Hounds.
Moors slid one past the Hounds goaltender, while Ian Bours of the Hounds was stopped by Polhill. Another attempt was made by the Bruins' Brady Wilson and Hounds' Marko Djordjevic, but neither found the net.
This gave the Bruins the win in the game and the Carlyle Cup for a second time.
Estevan defeated the Weyburn Red Wings 4-3 the following night in Estevan for the Bruins' fourth straight victory.
