The Estevan TS&M bantam AA Bruins saw their season come to an end on Saturday afternoon in a 4-2 loss to the Prairie Storm in Balgonie.
The Storm swept the best-of-three Saskatchewan Minor AA Hockey League bantam South Division quarterfinal series in two straight games.
Mason Kukura and Carson Birnie tallied in the opening eight minutes of Game 2 on Saturday, while the Storm scored once in that span, leaving Estevan with an early 2-1 advantage. Neither team would score again until early in the second, when the Prairie Storm tallied to tie the game.
Quick goals by the Storm less than a minute apart in the opening three minutes of the third broke the tie.
“They got an unfortunate goal to start the third where our goaltender (Jackson Miller) actually tripped, and they got a goal to go up 3-2, and that kind of hurt us a bit,” said Bruins coach Blaine Chrest.
Miller, who stopped 31 shots on the afternoon, made the first save after going down, but couldn’t get over for the rebound.
“We had some really good chances … but couldn’t put it in,” said Chrest.
The Storm took Game 1 5-4 in double overtime Thursday night in Estevan. Colby Cuddington scored twice for Estevan in Game 1, while Mason Fichter and Kaden Chrest also scored. Kaden’s goal with about five minutes to play in the third period tied the game.
The Storm scored the winner 3:40 into the second overtime period.
Miller also had 31 saves in that game.
Blaine Chrest said the teams were evenly matched. While Estevan was the No. 3 seed, and the Storm were the sixth seed, they were separated by only three points in the regular season.
“A break either way, and the games could have gone our way, the first game for sure,” said the coach.
Any of the eight teams from the South Division that made the playoffs would have a shot at winning the division, he said. The Storm was the only team in the south that Estevan didn’t defeat in the regular season.
“The Balgonie matchup was a tough one. They’re very quick,” said Blaine Chrest.
But the bantam AAs came a long ways during the season. They started 2-5-1 in their first eight games, but managed to finish third. Had they not had such a slow start, Chrest believes they could have finished first in the division during the regular season.
Four players are eligible to return next season. That means they might have a young team, but there are some first-year players on the bantam house teams who could challenge for roster spots next season.
