Although they weren't exactly facing the toughest competition, the Estevan Apex Bruins are satisfied with taking three of four points on their opening weekend of the season.
The midget AA club tied the Yorkton Terriers 2-2 Saturday and defeated the Melville Millionaires 5-3 Sunday on the road in South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League action.
"We played pretty good, actually. Sunday was the better effort than on Saturday," said Apex Bruins head coach Dalton Giblett.
The team was short on defence heading into the road trip due to a suspension to Bailey Lonsberry carrying over from last season. Giblett expects more suspensions coming after the Melville game.
Goaltender Landon Audet got a match penalty for spearing, a third-man-in penalty will result in a suspension to Kolten Ganson, and Ryley Giblett will be suspended for fighting with less than 10 minutes left, said the coach.
On Saturday, the Bruins needed a goal by Tyler Hengen with just 11 seconds left to pull out the draw.
"It was more of a scramble in front of the net. Hengen had pinched down and the puck somehow shot across to him in mid-air, and he batted it out of mid-air and in the net," said Giblett.
The Bruins had gotten on the board first early in the second period, with Kaelan Holt scoring at the 3:57 mark.
They retained that lead until late in the third, when the Terriers scored a pair of goals four minutes apart.
Caleb Sutter tied the game at the 12:49 mark, and Kholton Shewchuk gave Yorkton their first lead at 16:41.
Giblett said it was a game the Bruins should have won over a team that finished second-last in the league last year.
"We left way too many goals out there in the first and second period around the net. There were lots of rebounds, but we just didn't go to the net and get them. In the third, if it wasn't for Landon Audet, they would've been up a couple of goals. They had a couple of breakaways. He played very well, especially in the third."
In Melville, meanwhile, the Bruins had to come back again, with three unanswered goals late in the second period earning them the win.
They were down 3-1 until that point. Giblett said the line of Holt, Dylan Lay and Blaine Herzberg "really turned it up for us," especially on the power play. Holt had a hat trick.
"We had lots of good chances, and that's what really turned it around for us. The tying goal, from then on you could just feel the bench get a boost there.
"Then Melville got into some penalty trouble and discipline issues. We had a lot better jump (Sunday), which was good."
The Bruins would score three times in a span of less than five minutes, with two goals from Holt and one from Ryley Giblett.
The Millionaires scored first, with Destin Vranai getting them on the board seven minutes into the game.
Estevan replied with goals by Kyle Salaway and Holt before the period ended.
Melville would get markers from Jayden Napady and Vranai early in the second period before the Bruins roared back.
Due to Audet's suspension and Tanner Tytlandsvik's knee injury, Cam Lavoie started for the Bruins as an affiliated player. He stopped 25 of 28 shots.
Giblett said he expects his team to be strong offensively this year, with Salaway and Holt leading the way.
"It's just a matter of finding the right chemistry and getting the right guys with (Salaway)," said Giblett. "On the power play, we want him to have the puck because he makes good decisions."
Tyler Hengen, Colton Gingras, Kale Little, Ryley Giblett and Lonsberry form the core of the Bruins' defence, and Giblett said Hengen was impressive in the first two games.
"He was by far our best D-man all weekend. He's a second-year guy, and he played really well all weekend.
"I think once we get comfortable it'll be a pretty good mix. We should be relatively the same as last year, except I think our defence will be more balanced."
Among the rookies coming up from bantam, Giblett expects Ganson, Mitchell Morrison, Matt Bill and Colton Winton to make an impact.
"Those two guys really play well together," he said of Bill and Winton. "They make plays and they're smart with the puck. That's why they're on the team. They don't turn it over blind, they make good plays and good decisions."
The Bruins will visit the Notre Dame Hounds on Saturday before playing their home opener on Sunday against the Notre Dame Argos. Game time is 5 p.m. at Affinity Place.
