ESTEVAN - Hockey fans who braved the heavy snow and the frigid temperatures in Estevan on Feb. 5 were treated to a couple of entertaining games.
Two U18 AAA hockey games were played at Affinity Place. The first saw the Weyburn Gold Wings fall 4-1 to the Notre Dame Hounds in a Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League game. It's believed to be the first time the Wings have played a regular-season game in Estevan.
Then the Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears beat the Notre Dame Hounds 7-5 in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League game.
In the female game, Notre Dame had the only goal in the first two periods, a tally that occurred midway through the first period. The Hounds also outshot the Wings 28-17 over the first 40 minutes.
Weyburn came out strong in the third. Hallie Parada scored 2:12 into the third to tie the game. Julia Durr, who hails from Estevan, drew one of the assists on the goal. Notre Dame scored less than two minutes after Parada's goal to retake the lead.
The Gold Wings had opportunities to tie the game, but couldn't convert, and the Hounds scored twice in 75 seconds later in the third to put the game away.
Kiara Perrett had the Hounds' first and fourth goals on the night.
Amy Swayze made 37 saves for the Wings.
As for the Bears game, they gave up the opening goal early in the first period and trailed 3-1 14 minutes into the game. Cameron Allard had the lone goal for Estevan in the opening frame.
Estevan took over in the second. Will Nicholson scored about eight minutes into the middle frame to pull the Bears to within one. Goals by Jase McNichol and Gunner Moore 24 seconds apart put Estevan up by one, and Moore added his second of the game before the period was out to give Estevan a two-goal lead.
Notre Dame pulled to within one early in the third, but Boston Schmidt and Brendan Jones scored to put the game away. The Hounds notched one more goal to finish the scoring.
Carter Hudyma finished with three goals on the night for the Hounds. McNichol had three assists to go with his goal and finished with four points for the Bears.
Cole Ivey made 21 saves in goal for the Bears.
Estevan (16-16-2, 38 points) inched closer to a playoff spot with the win. They occupy the eighth and final playoff spot, and are 10 points clear of the ninth-place Battlefords Stars; Estevan has a game in hand. The Stars can finish with a maximum of 42 points.
Estevan will visit the Warman Wildcats on Feb. 8, the Saskatoon Blazers the following day and the Hounds on Feb. 11 in Wilcox.
