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Estevan Bears knock off defending league champions

Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins won twice on the weekend.
Close up of hockey puck and stick
The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears picked up a big win on Saturday.

ESTEVAN - The Estevan Steelhaus U18 AAA Bears went into Wilcox Saturday for a game against the defending Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey champions, the Notre Dame Hounds, and emerged with a 4-2 victory.

It was the Bears’ third straight victory.

Carter Skarbon opened the scoring midway through the first period for the Bears. Carter Onrait’s goal 1:20 into the second period gave the Bears a 2-0 advantage, but two goals by the Hounds tied the game before the end of the second period.

Blaze Gutzke’s power-play goal with 8:38 to play in the third period put the Bears ahead for good, and Kole Keen added an empty-net goal with 37 seconds to play.

Kaden Perron stopped 41 of the 43 shots he faced for Estevan.

The Bears (4-8-1) will host the Tisdale Trojans on Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. and Nov. 6 at 2:30 p.m.

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The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins won both games they played on the weekend, defeating the Swift Current Broncos 3-2 in overtime on Friday and doubling up the Regina Rangers 8-4 on Saturday.

Swift Current scored once in each of the first and second periods for a 2-0 lead, and the two-goal advantage held until midway through the third when Strahn Douglas scored. Spencer Copeland tied the game with a power-play goal three minutes later.

Carter Beck’s goal early in overtime was the winner.

Ty Fehrenbach made 32 saves in goal for Estevan.

The following day, Estevan fell behind 2-0 in the first period and 3-1 in the second but had five goals in the middle frame.

Beck scored twice in the second-period barrage. Emmett McCarthy scored in the frame, which was his second of the contest. Tayson Dietze and Jordan Marcotte also scored in the middle frame.

Talys Brock and Conrad Hase tallied in the third for the Bruins. Copeland had four assists on the day.

Keagan Carley had 28 saves in the game.

The Apex Bruins will visit Swift Current on Nov. 4 and the Moose Jaw Warriors on Nov. 5 and 6.

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The Estevan TS&M U15 AA Bruins had a 1-3-1 record at the Graham Tuer Memorial Tournament in Regina.

Estevan opened the tournament with a 5-5 tie against the South Side Athletic Club Lions.

Porter Crossman opened the scoring in the first period for Estevan, and Gunner Moore added to the lead in the second. After the Lions scored twice, Crossman had two goals for a 4-2 advantage through two periods.

The Lions would get two in the third to tie the game. Tristan Brownridge scored in the third for a 5-4 Estevan lead, but the Lions tied the game again.

Nathan Gardiner had three assists in the game.

Jaxon Kuchinka made 30 saves for Estevan.

Estevan’s next game was a 6-3 loss to the Prince Albert Pirates. The Pirates scored five times in the opening 14 minutes of the game to lead 5-0.

Jayden Chernoff and Crossman scored in the second for Estevan, and Austin Sawatsky scored in the third.

Quinton Sliva made 33 saves in the loss.

The Bruins then lost 7-3 to the Brandon Wheat Kings. Brandon led 4-1 after the first period and 7-1 with nine minutes to play in the second.

Brownridge scored twice and Riley Gigian also scored.

Kuchinka made 36 saves during the game.

Estevan’s lone win was an 8-4 win over the Yellowhead Chiefs. The Bruins scored four times in the second to take a 6-2 lead.

Boston Tait, Crossman, Brownridge and Gigian scored for Estevan in the second. Owen Pushie and Moore scored in the first, and Brownridge and Tait had goals in the third.

Gardiner had three helpers in the win.

Kuchinka made 39 saves.

Estevan’s final game was an 8-4 loss to the North West Stars. Moore and Kail Hilstrom each had two goals for Estevan.

Kuchinka made 40 saves in the loss.

The TS&M Bruins will return to league play when they visit the West Central Wheat kings on Nov. 5 and the Swift Current Broncos the following day. 

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