The Estevan Prairie Mud peewee A Bruins hockey team started off the 2015-16 season this past weekend with a great showing at a Prince Albert tournament.
"This was our first time as a team in this tournament," said Bruins head coach Shawn Saxon, noting most teams at the 12-team Nov. 6 to 8 tourney had already played three or four games before going there. "Going into the first game I was very optimistic for coming (away) with a win, but I had seen the talent that we had and the boys pulled it off really well."
After finishing tops in their pool, the Bruins matched up against the home side Prince Albert Canadians in the A semifinal. The Canadians got on the board first with three seconds left in the first period, but Estevan battled back to tie the game at ones with 6:52 left in the second frame on a goal by Kadah Chrest.
Prince Albert got back on the board twice late in the second to make the score 3-1 heading into the final period. The Bruins made the score close on a marker from Clay McKersie and should have tied it, but a quick whistle negated the goal. That whistle seemed to give the home side the momentum and they proceeded to score twice in the final three minutes to take the semifinal 5-2.
"It was a great game," said Saxon. "It was back and fourth action. We matched up very well with the Canadians and it would (be) nice to have a rematch somewhere in the future because the skill level was excellent."
Saxon said the team is working on scheduling a couple home and away exhibition games around the southeast in the coming months and some are in the process of being finalized. He said the team will also participate in the Winnipeg Jets Challenge Cup in the Manitoba capital over the Christmas holidays.
"We're gearing up for that," he said. "Basically our primary focus in practice is getting the kids playing in their positions, cleaning up a few areas that we need to clean up from the (Prince Albert) tournament and looking forward I believe we have a great squad to compete with any A team in Saskatchewan."
