The Estevan Apex midget AA Bruins wrapped up the second round of the Saskatchewan Hockey Association provincials against the Notre Dame Hounds on Monday night.
The Bruins and Hounds engaged in a two-game, total-goals series with the winner moving on and the loser out of contention for the provincial championship.
Game one of the series took place in Wilcox last Thursday and saw the two hockey clubs skate to a 1-1 draw. Both goals in that contest came in the second period as Dylan Johner scored for the Bruins and Dion Antisin answered for Notre Dame. The tie set up an essential one-game playoff in Estevan on Monday night.
Monday's contest was just as tightly contested as the first game as the two teams seemed very evenly matched. Goaltending was the story in the first period as neither club could find the back of the net, leaving zeros on the board after the opening 20 minutes.
The Hounds finally got managed to get one across the line early in the second period as Brody Jorgenson picked up the puck in a scramble in front of the Bruins net and slipped it by goalie Nate Ferris.
Estevan was able to answer later in the frame on the power play when Rhett Handley cranked a one-timer from the point past Hounds keeper Devan Tremblay.
The score remained locked at 1-1 until the 7:41 mark of the third period when Estevan took the lead on a controversial play. Bodies and sticks were flying all over the place in the Notre Dame crease when Bruins forward Jake McMillen found a loose puck and poked it into the net.
The Hounds protested that the whistle should have gone, as they believed their goalie had it covered; however the referee deemed it a good goal.
"(The goalie's) pads were wide open and the puck was sitting there," said Bruins coach Tom Copeland. "Until that whistle goes, we've all been taught as Canadian hockey players to go to the net and stick it in the net, so we'll take it."
Austin Halladay added an insurance marker with just over a minute to play, giving the hometown Bruins a 3-1 win.
After the game, Copeland said it was very satisfying to get the series win over a very tough Hounds squad.
"That's our nemesis right there," he said. "They've beat us twice this year; they've got big bodies, they do a lot of good things out there that we don't have an answer for sometimes."
Copeland also had a lot of praise for Ferris, who was very solid in the Bruins net.
"Nate has been fantastic for us all year," said Copeland. "As far as I'm concerned right now, both of our guys are the best goalies in the league. They keep us in a lot of games."
Estevan will now move on to round three of the provincials, however at press time it was unclear who their opponent would be.
The Bruins also had a regular league game on Saturday in Yorkton against the Kinsmen Terriers. Estevan was much too strong for the hometown Terriers and breezed to an easy 13-1 victory.
Marshall Holzer had an amazing game with four goals and four assists for eight points. Dylan Herzberg wasn't far behind Holzer with a goal and six assists, while Rhett Handley (3), Klae Bayda (2), Johner, Brody Connelly, and Jake McMillen had the other Estevan markers.
The Bruins have three more games this weekend, starting with a pair of contests in Swift Current on Friday and Saturday, before returning home on Sunday to face the Prairie Storm at the Civic at 6:15 p.m.
