ESTEVAN - For the second straight season, the Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears are heading to the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League's playoffs.
The Bears scored four times in the second period and defeated the Warman Wildcats 5-2 Feb. 8 in Warman. Coupled with the Battlefords Stars losing 7-5 to the Yorkton Maulers, the Bears wrapped up a playoff spot.
Entering play on Feb 9, Estevan was tied with the Prince Albert Mintos for seventh in the standings with 40 points, thanks to a 19-16-2 record. The top eight teams make the playoffs. The Stars are ninth at 12-22-4 and 28 points with six games to play; they can tie the Bears but Estevan holds the tie-breaker.
Roan Burgess opened the scoring for Estevan against Warman with 5:55 to play in the first, but the Wildcats tied the game 39 seconds later and took the lead early in the second period.
Will Nicholson tied the game 90 seconds after Warman's second goal, and then Gunner Moore, Burgess and Dylan Brass scored before the midway point of the second for the 5-2 lead. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
Brady Carr made 40 saves for Estevan to get the victory.
The Bears then lost 7-2 to the two-time defending league champions, the Saskatoon Blazers, on Feb. 9. Dylan Brass and Brendan Jones scored for Estevan. Carr and Cole Ivey split the goaltending duties.
Estevan will visit the Notre Dame Hounds on Feb. 11.
