The U18 AAA Estevan Bears started their season successfully, winning both games against the Tisdale Trojans.
The games, held on the Saturday and Sunday of the long weekend, both ended in 4-2 victories for the Bears.
Following a historic season last year, the Bears were looking to maintain that momentum.
"Obviously the results are good. Anytime you go into a weekend and get four points, we’re happy with how the players showed up over the weekend," said head coach Ryan Pilon, "but there are things we need to work on."
He noted that they had a couple of strong practices ahead of their trip to Regina to take on the Pats tomorrow, adding that the team's work ethic has been great, but there are a few areas for improvement.
“We were working really hard. At times, I thought we weren’t working smart," he said. "So we had to adjust that in the last two practices. We want to continue working hard, but now we need to take that next step and work smart in all aspects of our game.”
The Bears’ depth and speed were significant factors in their success, with contributions from all four lines, six defencemen, and both goalies, Pilon added.
“I thought both goalies played well. There were times in both games when they made key saves at the right moments to help us maintain the lead. The team rallied behind that, and we scored a big goal in the third period of the second game to regain the lead and finish it off.”
With a strong start to the season, the Bears are looking to showcase more of their abilities.
“Confidence is the biggest thing. It’s hard to win in this league, and now that we’ve played two close games, it's about being comfortable in those situations. We can build on that going into tomorrow and for the rest of the season,” Pilon said.
"We're excited for the challenge tomorrow. Regina is always one of the top teams in our league, so we're looking forward to that. The support from the community for our home opener weekend was fantastic, and I know the boys really appreciated it.”