The U18AAA Estevan Great North Bears have kicked off 2025 with a mixed start, securing two wins and one loss in their first three games of the new year.
The team hit the ice on Jan. 8, facing the Regina Pat Canadians at home. The Bears dropped the game 6-2. They then hit the road for a doubleheader against the Battlefords Stars, where they earned a victory in both games.
“It was more about waiting and reacting to see what the other team was going to do,” said Bears coach Pilon about Saturday's game. “They were playing hard, and we were playing fast, so it took us a little bit to get our feet under us. By the end of the second and third periods, I thought we really started to get our game going, scoring a couple of goals and pushing it into overtime.”
Goaltender Cole Ivey stopped three breakaways, and the team emerged as overtime winners.
“It was good to get the two points in a game where we didn’t play our best,” Ivey said.
The hard work continued on Sunday when the Bears clinched a second win against the Stars.
“I thought our start was a little slow for the first 5-7 minutes, but after that, we played really well,” Pilon said.
He added that the addition of Jase McNichol to the lineup helped strengthen the team’s defense and puck possession.
“I thought his line was going, they were getting a lot of scoring chances, and throughout the game, we had puck possession and control. We had many good scoring opportunities we didn’t capitalize on, and their goalie played really well. In the end, we stayed comfortable in a one-goal game and rode that out.”
Last week marked the first full week of games for the Bears after a three-week break.
“Coming back from the break, we had three practices before the Regina game. It was definitely a long layoff. We noticed some areas of our game that needed work, like puck decisions and puck touches,” Pilon said. “But now, heading into the Sunday game, we’ve seen improvements with some game action under us.”
The team is hoping for more consistency as they prepare for Thursday’s game against the Notre Dame Hounds.
“It’s going to be a tough game, especially at their rink with the larger ice surface. It will be a good opportunity for our team,” Pilon added.
The Bears will host the Saskatoon Contacts in back-to-back games this weekend.
“We have a midweek game every week now until the end of the season, so it’s going to be busy,” Pilon said. “We’ll have to manage rest and injuries, and all that kind of fun stuff.”