If you were to script the way a tournament in Estevan is supposed to go, a last minute clutch win over Weyburn in the final is where you start.
The Estevan atom tier one Western Star Signature Hotel Bruins did just that Sunday in the B final against the Weyburn Red Wings, with a wild third period on the scoresheet Sunday at Affinity Place.
Tied at 2-2 after the second period, the Bruins’ Tristan Brownridge scored 46 second into the third period to take the lead. That held will 7:01 left in the period when Weyburn scored to tie the game again. Jaxon Orsted scored to break the tie with 1:05 on the clock and Kail Hillstrom scored with 28 seconds left to get a two-goal lead.
Not done, Weyburn scored with six seconds left to bring the game to back within one and after a timeout, forced the puck deep into the Bruins zone. They couldn’t get a chance at the net before the final buzzer sounded, and the Bruins leapt off the bench in celebration.
“The guys played well, they played the full 60 minutes we’ve been trying to get the entire year,” said Bruins head coach Andrew Tait. “We’ve been working through the past month trying to get that full 60 minutes and today we did. We had all three lines going, all five defencemen going and our goaltender (Kris Phillips) making key saves.”
The team was undefeated in the round robin, beating Moose Jaw 11-5 and the Regina Mustangs 8-5, while tying the Minot Wolves 5-5. Minot went to the A side final based on the goals-against tiebreaker.
“Even with that goal differential, we’re happy with where we’re at,” Tait said. “They got a couple of extra goals on us going through but the effort on the guys with that way they went undefeated through the round robin, that’s just the way the tournament was drawn up… we’ll continue going and keep it up.”
Tait said that every day the team comes to practice, they’re getting better.
“You can see each kid getting better,” he said. “We’re starting to implement some systems and the kids are picking it up and the penalty kill is getting a lot stronger. The kids are just working hard.”
The final game saw the Bruins outshoot Weyburn 35-23.
The Bruins’ next action is this weekend when they play regular season games Saturday and Sunday in the South East Minor Hockey League against Yorkton at the Power Dodge Ice Centre. The Bruins are 0-3-0 on the season.
