ESTEVAN - For the second straight week, Wednesday proved to be a great night for the Estevan Bruins and the Estevan Great North U18 AAA Bears.
The Bruins scored a season-high six goals in a 6-5 road victory over the Melfort Mustangs, one of the top teams in the SJHL.
Each team scored three times in the first period, with Ben Wright, Ilia Chmelevski and Turner McMillen scoring for the Bruins. Wright's goal was his first in the SJHL, while McMillen's marker came with 18 seconds to play in the frame.
David Coyle, David Rioux and Nolan Roberts had Melfort's goals.
Owen Barrow scored 54 seconds into the second period to give the Bruins a 4-3 advantage. The scored remained 4-3 until Chase Friedt-Mohr and Jaxon Kerhig scored less than a minute apart late in the period to give Melfort a 5-4 lead.
Barrow notched his second of the game 28 seconds into the third period to tie the game again, and Tristan Dussault's first in the SJHL at the 8:31 mark of the frame was the game winner.
Estevan had a five-minute power play shortly after Dussault's goal, but couldn't convert, but Melfort couldn't build any momentum from the penalty kill. Estevan outshot Melfort 11-4 in the third.
Jackson Miller stopped 27 of the 32 shots he faced for Estevan, while Kristian Coombs made 34 saves on 40 shots for Melfort.
The Bruins (5-6-0-2) will have games at the La Ronge Ice Wolves on Nov. 3 and 4.
As for the Bears, they picked up their fourth straight win with a 4-3 overtime victory against the Notre Dame Hounds on Wednesday night at Affinity Place.
After the Hounds took a 1-0 lead, Jase McNichol and Carter Onrait scored to put the Bears up by one after 20 minutes.
The Hounds replied with two of their own late in the second to lead 3-2 after 40 minutes, but Onrait scored with 6:45 to play in the third to tied the game. Then Evhan Allan scored with 1:44 to play in overtime.
Ty Fehrenbach, making his second start since being called up from the Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins, stopped 32 shots for the Bears.
McNichol added two assists to finish with three points and is now the top scorer in the Saskatchewan Male AAA Hockey League with 20 points. Onrait is one back with 19.
Estevan (8-4-0-2) sits second in the league with 18 points. They will host the Battlefords Stars on Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. and the following day at 1:45 p.m.
