The U18 AAA Estevan Bears had another tough weekend, rematching against the Swift Current Legionnaires and dropping both games. However, the Bears showed significant improvement compared to their previous matchup with the team.
Head coach Ryan Pilon said the team played well despite the losses.
“We’re going up against a tough opponent, and they played to their identity. They are a deep team, so for the most part, I thought we played really well,” Pilon said.
In the first game, the Bears and Legionnaires were tied 1-1 after the first period, with Aidan Mohan scoring for the Bears. After the second period, the Bears trailed 2-1, and a scoreless third period saw them lose 2-1.
“The first game was a bit of a goalie battle with a 2-1 score. I thought defensively we played really well. We made one mistake, and they capitalized. That was the difference in the first game,” Pilon said.
In the second game, the Bears were down 3-1 to the Legionnaires after two periods, with Will Nicholson scoring the Bears' first goal.
“Moving into the second game, they got out to a bit of a lead early in the third period, and I thought the guys did a good job of playing a full 60 minutes and battling back,” Pilon said.
In the previous matchup, the Legionnaires won 9-0 and 6-5. Pilon said, “The first game was a bit of an anomaly with the blowout. It was definitely encouraging to see that, over three games, we’ve put together consistent effort.”
“We’re just looking to keep rolling and get better results going into tomorrow’s game,” he added.
Pilon also praised the team’s overall performance. "I felt like, as a whole, we were very consistent. I thought all four lines, all six defensemen, and both goalies played well. Both games, they were in it,” he said. “It just showed how deep our team is and how we can rely on our different lines,” Pilon said.
The Bears will suit up again Wednesday night for their first meeting of the season against the Notre Dame Hounds. The Bears are currently sitting 8th in the league while the Hounds are trailing sitting in last spot within the league standings.
“Their season hasn’t gone the way they probably wanted, so we want to jump on them early and carry that momentum into our weekend games,” Pilon said.
The team will take a short break over the weekend as they participate in the Miracle on Fourth Street and The Festival of Lights.