ESTEVAN - The Estevan Bruins defeated the Melville Millionaires 5-3 on Friday night, ending a four-game losing streak and picking up their first win in four tries against Melville this season.
Estevan notched two power-play goals late in the first period to take a 2-0 advantage, with Kaelen Whittingham opening the scoring with 4:55 to play in the frame and Luke Hogan notching his first of the game with 30 seconds in the stanza.
Hogan added his second of the game midway through the second period during a prolonged 5-on-3 advantage for the Black and Gold to put Estevan up by three.
Melville cut into the lead when Caden Drury – a former member of the Estevan U18 AAA Bears who now leads the SJHL in scoring with 27 points – notched a power-play goal, and then Simon Parini pulled Melville to within one when he scored with five seconds remaining.
Liam Rodman tied the game for Melville on a power play 3:44 into the third period, but Reed Gramlich restored the Bruins' lead midway through the frame. Melville had a glorious opportunity to tie the game with an 80-second two-man advantage late in regulation, but Bruin goaltender Kyle Kelsey and the penalty killers stood tall. Cade Kennedy finished the scoring with an empty-net goal with 42 seconds remaining.
Kelsey made 24 saves for Estevan, while Nick Genette (Melville) had 20 stops.
The Bruins (5-6-1-1) will be back on the ice on Nov. 9 when they visit the Weyburn Red Wings in the first meeting of the season between the Highway 39 rivals.
Video courtesy of the SJHL's YouTube page.
