For the second straight year, the Estevan Apex Bruins have been knocked out of Saskatchewan Hockey Association provincials in the first round.
The midget AA club lost its two-game, total-goal series by a 9-3 margin against the Notre Dame Argos last week.
The Argos took the opener 4-2 in Estevan on Wednesday and won 5-1 in Wilcox on Sunday.
The Bruins went into Sunday's game having to win by three, and that got harder after the first period when the club found itself down 2-1.
Alex Marshall and Erik Thakurdeen tallied for the Argos in the opening frame, while Kaelan Holt scored a power play marker for the Bruins midway through the period.
Needing to outscore the Argos by four the rest of the way, the Bruins failed to generate any more goals, despite outshooting Notre Dame 47-34.
Kamen George scored for the Argos in the second period to all but put the series away, and Burke Johnstone and Tayon Metzler added to the total in the third.
The Bruins went 1-for-7 on the power play, while the Argos were scoreless on three chances.
On Wednesday, meanwhile, it was a two-minute span in the second period that led to the Bruins' undoing.
Holt drew first blood for the home side late in the first period, lighting the lamp on a power play.
"The first period, I thought we played really well. We had lots of energy, we were working and I thought we carried most of the play," said Bruins head coach Dalton Giblett.
That would soon change, as the Argos scored three goals in a span of 2:23 early in the second.
It started with Marshall's shorthanded goal at the 4:34 mark, as he capitalized on a giveaway and beat Bruins goalie Tanner Tytlandsvik on a partial breakaway.
"We had two power plays to start the period and we kinda had the pressure on, but then we got a little lazy. Once that happened, they got a shorthanded goal and that's what started it rolling for them," said Giblett.
Shortly after that, Read Douglas gave the Argos the lead, taking a feed from Matt Barry on an odd-man rush.
Only 47 seconds later, Metzler scored on a scramble in front of the net to give the visitors a 4-1 lead.
"We just had that little lapse for about four or five minutes and they potted two goals right there," said Giblett. "In the second period, if it wasn't for Tanner in net he played well, you can't fault him on any of those goals, I don't think. We just got sloppy in front of him and we quit working. Next thing you know we're down by two goals. We battled back, scored a goal and had some chances late in the third, but sometimes when you're going uphill it's hard."
George added an insurance marker five minutes into the third on a power play.
Colton Winton cut the deficit to two goals barely a minute later, slipping the puck into the net five-hole.
Meanwhile, the Bruins defeated the Regina Wild in league action on Saturday in Regina.
Estevan scored three unanswered goals to rally for the win.
The first period was full of action, with the Bruins leading 4-3 at the buzzer.
Holt, Winton, Kyle Salaway and Dylan Lay rippled the twine in the first 20 minutes, while Caleb Griffin, Mathew Bachynski and Christopher Belanger powered the Wild's attack.
The Wild got a pair of goals from Colby Brandt in the second period to take the lead, but the Bruins responded with two goals in the last seven minutes of the frame.
Ryley Giblett potted a power play goal at the 13:20 mark and Winton scored two minutes later to put the Bruins on top 6-5.
Salaway's second of the night early in the third added to the Bruins' cushion.
The Bruins are back in action on Saturday, as they host the Yorkton Terriers. Game time is 3:30 p.m. at Affinity Place.
