The Estevan Apex Bruins won two of their last three games on the road to ensure they would finish in fourth place in the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League standings.
The midget AA team has completed their regular season, although most other teams have not and there is a week left in the league's slate. Still, no team behind the Bruins can catch them. The Bruins (19-12-4) will have to wait to find out who they play in the first round.
Estevan defeated the Weyburn Wings 7-4 on Wednesday, then fell 3-2 to the Swift Current Hurricanes on Saturday and edged the Moose Jaw Warriors 4-3 on Sunday.
The Bruins got off to an excellent start against the third-place Warriors, taking a 4-0 lead after two periods.
Kaelan Holt and Cole Piche scored in the first period, while Blaine Herzberg added two in the second. They came two minutes apart, including one with just one second left in the period.
The Warriors came out flying in the third though, scoring three times in less than three minutes early in the frame.
Ty Anderson, Regan Seiferling and Braydon McCarthy tallied for Moose Jaw to get them within a goal, but they couldn't get another one to tie the game.
On Saturday against the second-place Hurricanes, the Bruins drew first blood on a goal by Holt midway through the first.
Colton Adam scored not long after that to pull Swift Current into a tie.
The Hurricanes grabbed a 3-1 lead in the second period on goals by Parker Wall and Darby Crozier.
Colton Winton countered for Estevan only a minute after Crozier's goal, but the Bruins were held off the board in the third to take the loss.
The Bruins started poorly against a weak Weyburn team on Feb. 19, allowing the first three goals, but they stormed back with six of the next seven to earn the win handily.
Holt led the Bruins with two goals and two assists. Dylan Lay added two goals and one helper, Kolten Ganson notched a goal and two assists and Kyle Salaway contributed three assists. Winton and Colton Gingras also scored.
Jarrett Metheral (2), Blake Dempsey and Cole Rooney replied for the Wings.
