The Estevan Apex Bruins got the toughest draw imaginable for their first-round provincial series, but that didn't faze them.
The midget AA club proceeded to defeat the Regina Capitals, earning a huge 4-2 victory on Sunday in Regina in Game 2 of the series. The teams had tied 1-1 in the opener on Jan. 14 in Estevan.
The Capitals (22-2-5) were the overwhelming favourites, as they are running away with first place in the South Saskatchewan Minor Hockey League. The Bruins (12-12-2) are in ninth place.
"We just played really well as a group. We had great goaltending from Landon Audet. We had an excellent penalty kill. We were able to kill off two 5-on-3s," head coach Blake Jamieson said of the win on Sunday.
He said the team's success was about "getting pucks in behind their D, pressuring their D, taking pucks to the net, getting traffic in front of their goaltender. They had good goaltending too."
The Bruins took the early lead at the 7:18 mark of the first on Marc Shaw's first of two goals.
They went ahead 2-0 with about five minutes left when Peyton Stevenson found the back of the net.
The Capitals got one back with just one second remaining in the period, courtesy of Ty Acoose.
The second period was scoreless and the Bruins hung on to their 2-1 lead heading to the third.
The Capitals tied it up at the 4:39 mark on a goal by Brock Strueby, but the Bruins didn't panic.
Shaw struck back less than three minutes later to restore the Bruins' lead.
"They were able to get a couple, but when we answered right back we were able to keep morale high," said Jamieson.
Cole Piche scored an insurance marker for the Bruins with 17 seconds left in regulation.
Jamieson said the upset win will do a lot for the Bruins spirits as they advance in provincials. They face Swift Current next. Dates had not been determined as of press time.
"It's huge moving forward. Confidence should be high, knowing that we're quite capable of beating a top dog in the battle for provincials."
In Game 1, the only two goals on the night were scored less than two minutes apart in the first period.
The Bruins struck first, with Shaw scoring an unassisted marker 12 minutes in.
Regina's Tanner Bobyck then tied it just shy of the 14-minute mark.
