ESTEVAN — The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears early-season struggles continued on the weekend with a pair of home-ice losses against the Saskatoon Contacts.
Estevan lost 5-1 Saturday evening. Blaze Gutzke had the Bears lone goal, a short-handed tally that came 1:50 into the second period and made the score 2-1. But the Contacts pulled away with one in the second and two in the third.
Riley Deck made 22 saves for Estevan.
The following day, the Bears fell 6-1 to the Contacts. Teigan Semchyshen’s goal 5:37 into the first period came 30 seconds after Saskatoon had opened the scoring. But the Contacts scored twice in the second and three times in the third to take over the game.
Kaden Perron stopped 24 of the 30 shots he faced.
Estevan was on an eight-game losing streak after the defeats.
The Bears then lost 6-2 to the undefeated Regina Pat Canadians on Tuesday night at Affinity Place, which was their eighth straight loss. Regina scored twice in the first and added two more in the second for a 4-0 lead before Carter Skarbon tallied for the Bears.
Cutter Knight scored with 13 seconds left in the third period to finish the scoring.
Perron stopped 21 of the 27 shots he faced.
They will host the Prince Albert Mintos on Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. and the following day at 2:30 p.m. Both games will be at Affinity Place.
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The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins played just one game during the past week, a 5-4 victory on the road against the Regina Capitals on Monday night.
The two teams were tied at 2-2 after the first period, with Carter Beck and Strahn Douglas scoring for Estevan. It remained a tie game through two periods, and Estevan outscored the Capitals in the third.
Declyn Henderson and Beck scored to give Estevan a 4-2 lead, but Regina stormed back with two of their own. Conrad Hase notched the winner for Estevan with 3:33 to play in the third period.
Ty Fehrenbach made 21 saves on 25 shots on goal.
Estevan will have a couple of home games this coming weekend. They will host the Regina Vics on Oct. 21 at 7:30 p.m., and the Prairie Storm the following day at 5 p.m. Both games will be at Affinity Place.
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The Estevan TS&M U15 AA Bruins picked up three of a possible four points during the weekend in games against northern opponents.
Up first was a 3-3 tie against the Warman Wildcats. The two teams were tied at 1-1 after the first period, with Boston Tait notching the Estevan goal. And the Bruins held a 3-2 lead through two periods, with Owen Pushie and Tait scoring.
Warman tied the game on a goal just over five minutes into the third period.
Quinton Sliva stopped 28 of the 31 shots he faced.
The following day, Estevan scored three times in each of the first two periods on their way to a 6-2 victory over the Sasktoon Generals.
After the Generals opened the scoring, Austin Sawatsky scored once and Gunner Moore tallied twice for a 3-1 Estevan advantage. Moore’s second goal came with 11 seconds remaining in the opening frame.
Saskatoon opened the scoring in the second, but then Tristan Brownridge, Cameron Milbrandt and Porter Crossman picked up goals to round out the scoring before the end of the period.
Jaxon Kuchinka made 32 saves for Estevan.
The Bruins (2-2-1-1) will be back on the ice on Oct. 22 when they host the Prairie Storm. The game will start at 2:15 p.m. at Affinity Place.
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The Estevan Meter U13 AA Bruins went 0-2 on the weekend, with a 7-4 loss on home ice to the Moose Jaw Warriors and an 8-2 defeat at the Prairie Storm in Balgonie.
Kyson Dangstorp scored in the first period for Estevan. Then Owen Light and Kohen Brownridge tallied in the second to help Estevan rally from a 3-1 deficit.
The teams traded goals in the third, with Light notching his second of the game, but Moose Jaw added three goals before the game was finished, including an empty-net marker.
Nathan Quennelle made 26 saves in goal for Estevan.
Light and Marek Wilhelm scored for Estevan against the Storm. Wilhelm’s goal left Estevan down 4-2 with 10:19 to play in the third period, but the Storm would get three goals in 21 seconds a few minutes later, and add one more before the game was finished.
Easton Pushie made 34 saves on 42 shots on goal.
Estevan will host the Regina Blues on Oct. 23 at 5:45 p.m. at Affinity Place. Then they will have their annual home tournament the following weekend.
