The Estevan Bruins rode a five-game home winning streak into action against the Notre Dame Hounds on Wednesday, November 14. It was the Hounds, however, who had the last laugh at Affinity Place.

Marshall Wilton scored midway through overtime and the Hounds snapped a six-game losing skid, beating the Bruins 4-3. Michael McChesney, Ryder Pierson, and Tristyn DeRoose replied for the Bruins, who were stymied by goaltender Andrew Henderson. The Hounds netminder made 54 saves in the win.

“I think that team had seven shots five-on-five and scored three goals,” said a disappointed Bruins head coach Chris Lewgood. “Bottom line is we have to find ways to win. We’ve been finding ways to lose instead of win and with 57 shots or whatever it was on the score clock we didn’t score enough goals.”

The Hounds scored the only goal of the first period off an odd play at the side of the Bruins net. The puck bounced around below the goal line before Cole Golden chopped it past Jake Anthony from an awkward angle. 

The two teams traded goals after that with neither team ever holding a two-goal lead. Michael McChesney scored early in the second period when Turner Ripplinger sent him in alone. Despite 29 Bruins shots in the middle frame, the second period ended 1-1.

The Bruins then took their first lead of the game early in the third as Estevan native Ryder Pierson got the puck in front off the cycle and sent it past the ear of Henderson. It was Pierson’s second career goal, but his first at Affinity Place.

“It felt pretty good to finally score at home,” Pierson said, “and give the boys the lead at the time. It just sucks we didn’t pull out the win, but we move on and keep working at it.”

The Bruins lead lasted only 1:46 until Jakob Breault fired a shot past Anthony, who was unable to save it as a Hound player was literally sitting on top of him. The officials signaled good goal, however, and the Bruins were back to a tie.

Tristyn DeRoose broke that tie on the Bruins power play midway through the third, swatting away at a rebound until it finally crept over the goal line for a lead. The Bruins held the lead until the final minute, when Jarrett Penner one-timed a pass behind Anthony to knot the score and send the game to overtime. 

As in regulation, the Bruins had the better chances in the extra frame. Jayden Davis hit the cross bar on a breakaway and McChesney was stopped point blank on a partial break. Wilton made the Bruins pay for their misses, driving wide into the Bruins zone and firing a shot low-glove for the winner.

“We’ve got to find ways to score,” Lewgood said. “If you take advantage of your zone time and make the most of it, it’s not going to come down to those little rickety plays at the end.”  

Estevan drops to 12-12-1 on the season. They reset quickly, playing Melville on Friday night at Affinity Place. 

GAME NOTES

Ryder Pierson has two career SJHL goals. Both have come against the Notre Dame Hounds, and Jerzy Martin has assisted both. Martin has three of his four assists on the year against the Hounds as well.

The Bruins last home loss came against the Flin Flon Bombers on October 14. Since then they had won five straight at Affinity Place.

Bryce Platt had a seven-game point streak snapped in the loss. He has nine goals and 19 points in 17 games on the year.

The Bruins power play went 1-for-10 on the night and now sits second-last in the SJHL at 14.1 percent. Their last home game with a power play goal was October 20, when they went 2-for-5 against Nipawin.