The Apex Estevan Bruins midget AA hockey team remain undefeated after completing an early season road trip over the weekend and are now coming back home.
The Bruins (3-0-1) defeated the Yorkton Kinsmen Terriers 2-0 at Farrell Agencies Arena Saturday before tying the Melville Millionaires 3-3 the next evening at Horizon Credit Union Centre. After opening the season with three of four games on the road, the Bruins will give their fans two straight nights of action this weekend when they play host to the Regina Rangers (0-1) on Saturday and Millionaires (2-1-1) Sunday.
“It’s nice to start the season with a couple road trips,” said Bruins head coach Blake Jamieson, “but it’s always nice to come home now after we got some team bonding.”
The Bruins controlled the play against the Terriers (0-2) on Saturday, but it took them until the 15:45 mark of the second period for Erik McKersie to find the back of the net. In a penalty filled third period, Brady Long knocked in the insurance marker with exactly six minutes remaining. Bruins goaltender Ethan Veroba recorded the club’s first shutout of the season in the game.
“He didn’t have to do too much,” said Jamieson of Veroba’s play. “When he did he played great, played the puck well for us and had a good game. He deserved the shutout.”
Jamieson said the team was a bit tired and sluggish the next night in Melville, but they gave it a good effort to come out of the weekend with three out of a possible four points.
Melville got on the board first in the game thanks to a Luke Nkwama marker 48 seconds in. The Bruins Kade McMillen responded on the power play a little over three minutes later. The Millionaires went ahead 2-1 with 17:20 left in the second before McMillen evened up the score again with three minutes to play in the frame. Hunter Piche scored for the Bruins five minutes into the third, but this time the Millionaires responded with a Luke Wyatt goal with 10 minutes to go.
“We were just a step slower with the second game of the weekend,” said Jamieson. “We play them this weekend on Sunday, so we catch them in seven games in nine nights (the Millionaires only have Oct. 13 and 15 off between Oct. 10 to 18), so we’ll be able to (get them) there.”
