The Estevan Apex Bruins' three-game weekend began on a strong note. It ended with an unthinkable loss to a team with only two wins to date.
The midget AA squad defeated the Prairie Storm 7-4 on the road Friday, then lost 6-4 to the first-place Notre Dame bantam Hounds on Saturday and 5-3 to the last-place Yorkton Terriers on Sunday.
The Bruins (14-9-6) continued a recent string of hot play on Friday with a strong offensive performance in White City.
A five-goal second period fuelled the team's winning effort and six different players scored by the time the night was through.
But it was the Storm's Joel Gellvear striking first only 76 seconds into the game. Marc Shaw scored nine minutes in to tie the game after one period.
Shaw's second of the game came at 4:13 of the second. Dylan Lay made it 3-1 for Estevan at 6:46.
Jesse Manastyrski got the Storm within one at the eight-minute mark, but Talys Halabuza struck back only 18 seconds later for the Bruins.
Tanner Jeannot and Blaine Herzberg would add two more tallies in the final half of the second period to put the Bruins ahead 6-2.
The Storm got one back only three minutes into the third on a Dustin McCormick goal, and Matthew Perkins brought them within two goals at 15:17, but Kaelan Holt added some insurance for Estevan with 39 seconds to play.
On Saturday against the 17-2-6 bantam Hounds, a spirited third period was not enough for the Bruins to come back.
Dillon Dube had the only marker of the first period for the Hounds, early in the frame.
Ty Brown of Estevan gave the Hounds a 2-0 lead two minutes into the second, and Dube added to that with a power play marker at 3:33.
Shaw scored the Bruins' first goal just 17 seconds later.
But the Hounds took a 4-1 lead late in the period on a goal by Conor MacLean.
Kyle Salaway got the Bruins within two only 87 seconds into the third.
Notre Dame followed that up with Elijah Francis and Jonah Cook lighting the lamp though, which meant that goals scored by Ryan Shirley and Jeannot for the Bruins in the final four minutes were not enough.
The Bruins outshot the first-place bantam Hounds 29-23.
On Sunday, despite facing a much weaker opponent, it was the same outcome for the Bruins.
They fell behind 4-0 against the hapless Terriers after the first period.
Tyler Shumay scored all four goals for Yorkton.
Shaw netted the Bruins' first goal less than four minutes into the second stanza.
The Bruins continued to trail 4-1 after two periods, but mounted a serious comeback bid in the third.
Midway through the period, the puck ricocheted up and over Yorkton goalie Michael Chorney and Bruins captain Steven Henderson managed to knock it out of mid-air into the net.
Halabuza found the net 79 seconds later to get the Bruins within a goal.
However, with 1:24 left in regulation, Yorkton's Steven St. Marie clinched the win on a floater that was deflected into the top part of the net.
The Apex Bruins' next regular season action is Feb. 13 when they host the Notre Dame Hounds. That game is being made up from Jan. 11.
