The Weyburn Red Wings split their home-and-home year-end games, winning their game for the Tom Huston Classic on New Year’s Day 4-1, but losing in Estevan on Friday evening 4-2.
Hometown player Braden Mellon only took 23 seconds for the Red Wings to notch their first goal of 2017, as he took a pass from Cole Woodliffe, skated around the net and potted the goal to start off the game on the right foot.
Goaltender Carter Phair only allowed one goal from the Bruins’ Johnny Witzke at 6:54 of the first period to tie the game.
Red Wings defenceman Jamieson Ree scored unassisted three minutes into the second period with the go-ahead goal, and the Red Wings never looked back.
Fellow Weyburnite Donavon Lumb scored on assists from Noah Wozney and captain Mike Eskra, and Cole Woodliffe made it 4-1 on assists from Dylan McCabe and Carson Rose.
The Red Wings went on to win the game by that score, exciting the 954 fans who came out to see the tilt.
Earlier in Estevan on Friday evening, the scoring was opened by Kaelan Holt of Estevan, and the Bruins added two more in the second period, from Michael McChesney and Johnny Witzke, before Mike Eskra got the Red Wings on the scoreboard at 12 minutes of the middle frame.
Cole Woodliffe made it closer for the Red Wings as he scored the Wings second goal at 11:46 of the third period, but with six seconds left in the game, the Bruins put the game away to make it 4-2.
The Estevan was by far the rougher game of the home-and-home series, with a fight between the Wings Jameison Ree and Estevan’s Kaelan Holt, who received the instigator penalty, while Ree also had a charging penalty.
There were also roughing, spearing, kneeing and slashing penalties in this game, while in the Weyburn game, Weyburn had eight minor penalties, and the Bruins had six. The Bruins were one for six on the power-play, while the Red Wings had no power-play goals.
The split in the games left Estevan in first place in the Viterra Division with 51 points, and the Red Wings remain in second with 39 points, two up on Yorkton.
Coming up on Friday, Jan. 6, Weyburn will host the Notre Dame Hounds, and on Saturday, Jan. 7, the Wings host the league-leading Battlefords North Stars at Crescent Point Place, both at 7:30 p.m.
