ESTEVAN - The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins have taken a 2-0 series lead in their best of five Saskatchewan AA Hockey League Â鶹ÊÓƵ Division semifinal showdown with the Regina Rangers.
Estevan won Game 1 5-4 on Wednesday night at Affinity Place, and Game 2 3-2 Friday in Regina. Both games were decided in overtime.
Estevan had a 4-1 lead after the first period of Game 1 on goals by Strahn Douglas, Boden Dukart, James Mann and Emmett McCarthy. McCarthy’s goal was in the final minute of the opening frame.
But Regina chipped away at the lead, with two goals in the second and the tying goal 55 seconds into the third.
Mann’s second of the game 11 seconds into overtime was the winner.
Keagan Carley (10 saves on 13 shots) and Ty Fehrenbach (eight saves on nine shots) split the goaltending duties for Estevan.
In Game 2, Regina had a 1-0 lead after the first period and a 2-1 advantage through two. Dukart had the goal in the second period for Estevan.
Colton Pushie scored the tying goal with 1:54 to play in the third.
A 10-minute overtime period solved nothing, and then Kade Phillips scored 52 seconds into the second overtime.
Fehrenbach made 36 saves in the victory.
Estevan will have the chance to wrap up the series Sunday when they host the Rangers at 5:30 p.m. at Affinity Place.
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In other local minor hockey action on Friday, the Â鶹ÊÓƵ East Aaron Well Servicing U18 AA Gold Wings female hockey team kept threir season alive with a 3-0 victory over the host Swift Current Wildcats.
The best of three Saskatchewan Female Hockey League Â鶹ÊÓƵ Division semifinal series is now tied at 1-1.
Jada Naviaux opened the scoring for the Goldwings 1:48 into the first period. Mazey Hillrud scored with five minutes to play in the second period, and Rayna Hemie added the insurance goal with 8:13 to play in the third.
Kara Zelyck was in goal.
Game 3 will be Sunday at 2 p.m. in Midale.
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The two Estevan teams in the Saskatchewan Female Hockey League’s U13 division have had their seasons come to an end.
The Estevan Power Dodge U13 A Bearcats 1 dropped a pair of 7-1 games and were swept in their best of three Â鶹ÊÓƵ Central Division semifinal against the top-ranked Wood River Ice Cats.
In Game 1, played Wednesday night at Affinity Place, Peyton McIntyre had the lone Estevan goal. It came with 80 seconds to play in the third, and spoiled the shutout bid for the Wood River goalie.
Kadence Grimes scored 51 seconds into the second period of Game 2 Friday in Lafleche to give Estevan a 1-0 lead, but Wood River would get three in the second and add four more in the third.
Taylor Short was in goal for both games.
The Power Dodge Bearcats 2, meanwhile, lost 7-5 to the Parkland Fire on Friday at Affinity Place. Taya Northrop opened the scoring for Estevan in the first period, but the Fire had a 3-1 lead after one.
Northrop and Kendall Grimes scored in the second for the Bearcats to tie the game.
The Fire scored three times in the third to take a 6-3 lead with 5:20 to play, but goals by Northrop and Chelsea Madsen pulled Estevan to within one with 57 seconds to play. The Fire added an empty netter with three seconds remaining.
Adalyn Christopherson was the goalie for Estevan.
