The Estevan Apex Bruins passed a stiff test to begin their two-game weekend set, defeating the second-place Swift Current Hurricanes 5-2 on Saturday.
The next day, however, they fell 6-5 to the Regina Capitals to snap a streak that took them from the middle of the pack to the top echelon of the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League.
The midget AA club had gone undefeated in their last seven games prior to the Regina contest.
The Bruins (9-5-3) now sit in fifth place, just four points out of first.
Swift Current had 14 skaters on Saturday, two less than the Bruins, which contributed to the upset win at Affinity Place.
"They didn't come with their full squad, but it was still a good test," said Bruins head coach Dalton Giblett. "The first period was quick, there weren't many whistles. We were as healthy as we'd been in a long time."
Giblett added that the physical tone of the game helped his team get engaged.
"There was really good intensity off the start. There were bodies being thrown around by both teams and that kind of sparked us. We kept working hard, put lots of pressure on their D and created turnovers down low."
Colton Gingras opened the scoring on a power play four minutes into the game. Parker Wall tied it for the Hurricanes midway through the period, but Kyle Salaway's marker with 3:43 to play gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead after one.
After a scoreless second period, the Bruins potted two goals in the first five minutes of the third to take a firm grip on the game.
Matt Bill gave Estevan a two-goal lead at the 2:37 mark of the third and Kaelan Holt would extend the cushion less than two minutes later.
Josh Dickie scored for Swift Current at the 13:42 mark to make it 4-2. Talys Halabuza, playing in his first game of the year, added an empty netter with one second left.
On Sunday, the Capitals scored three unanswered goals in the third period to hand the Bruins a come-from-behind defeat in the Queen City.
Estevan took a 3-1 lead after the first period, getting two goals from Mitchell Morrison and one from Kolten Ganson.
Riley Woods had the lone Capitals goal in the frame.
Regina's Keelan Saworski scored less than five minutes into the second to get the Capitals within one, but Ryley Giblett replied for the Bruins at the 11:40 mark.
The home side cut their deficit to 4-3 after two periods when Matt Bohay scored at 15:47.
Holt restored the Bruins' two-goal lead at 3:45 of the third, but it was all Capitals after that.
Jake Heerspink countered Holt's goal 30 seconds later and would score again four minutes after that to tie the game.
Landon Mayes fired the game-winner with 6:42 remaining.
Giblett said lapses in the second and third periods hurt his team.
"The last three or four minutes, we brought the intensity back but it was a little too late. Their power play killed us."
The Bruins have two home games this weekend. The last-place Weyburn Wings are in town on Friday and the Regina Wild will be the opponent on Saturday. Both games start at 8 p.m. at Affinity Place.
