ESTEVAN - The Estevan Apex U18 AA Bruins opened their postseason with a 7-1 victory over the Weyburn Wings on Thursday night.
Emmett McCarthy, Mason Fichter and Boden Dukart scored in the first period to give the Apex Bruins a 3-0 lead. Turner Knockaert and Spencer Copeland tallied in the second to add to the lead.
Goals from Dukart and James Mann in the third gave Estevan a 7-0 advantage, but then Weyburn scored late in the third to spoil the shutout bid for Keagan Carley, who stopped 17 shots for Estevan.
The teams are playing a best-of-five series. Game 2 is set for Saturday night in Weyburn. Game 3 is Tuesday night at Affinity Place at 8 p.m.
Earlier in the evening, the Estevan Meter U13 AA Bruins began their playoffs with a 7-5 loss to the Yorkton Terries at Affinity Place.
Yorkton had leads of 5-2 in the second period and 6-3 in the third, but Estevan fought back to within a goal before Yorkton finished the game with an empty-net goal.
Jayden Chernoff had a hat trick for Estevan, and Nathan Gardiner and Boston Tait also scored. Chernoff’s third goal and Tait’s marker came less than a minute apart late in the third to pull Estevan to within one.
Easton Pushie and Myles Lequyer shared the goaltending duties.
The U13 series is a best-of-three. The two teams will meet for Game 2 March 5 in Yorkton. Game 3, if necessary, would be the following day in Estevan at 2:30 p.m.
