The Estevan Apex midget AA Bruins closed out the pre-Christmas portion of their schedule Sunday by beating one of the top teams in the Saskatchewan Minor AA Hockey League.
Estevan, who leads the league with a 21-1-1 record, edged the Swift Current Broncos 5-4 at Affinity Place.
Swift Current jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the opening 3:16 of the first period. Estevan closed the gap to one on a goal by Joey Meredith late in the first, and took the lead early in the second when Kieran Stewart and James Mann scored less than two minutes apart.
But the Broncos replied with two of their own before the period was out to tie the game again.
Clay McKersie scored 2:51 into the third to knot the game up at fours, and Trey Stovin’s goal with 12:15 to play in the third was the game-winner.
Logan Nagel made 19 saves in the victory.
The midget AAs also played twice on the weekend against the Melville Millionaires. Saturday’s game was a 2-1 victory for Estevan. Kaden Chrest scored the winner less than five minutes into the third period, and Meredith also scored for Estevan, who trailed 1-0 after the first period.
Jackson Miller made 15 saves in the victory.
Their other game was a 9-0 victory over the Mills on Friday night. The game was scoreless until midway through the first period, when Cade Bendtsen scored a short-handed goal to put Estevan on the board, and then Chase Gedak tallied a few minutes later for a 2-0 lead.
Mason Fichter and Tanner Stovin scored in the opening two minutes of the second to up the lead to four, and then Gedak and Colby Cuddington also scored for a six-goal advantage.
Kyler Gervais, Cuddington and Gedak had goals in the third for Estevan.
Logan Nagel stopped all 22 shots he faced for the win.
Estevan will return to the ice Jan. 4 when they visit the Prairie Storm in Balgonie, and then they will host the Weyburn Wings on Jan. 5 at 5:15 p.m. at Affinity Place.
