The U18AAA Estevan Bears saw mixed results over the weekend as they faced the Battleford Stars in a doubleheader at Affinity Place.
The Bears started strong in the first game, on Saturday taking a 3-0 lead over the Stars. “Second period rolls around, got into a little bit of penalty trouble which kind of killed their momentum, killed the flow of the game, players were playing too many minutes and guys weren’t playing enough minutes to keep the flow of the game going,” said Ryan Pilon, head coach for the Estevan Bears.
The Bears rallied with another goal in the third period, but the Stars managed to tie the game and push it into overtime, ultimately scoring the game-winning goal to secure a 5-4 victory.
The two teams returned to the ice for a second game on Sunday. “I thought the players kind of rebounded very well coming back to game two. It was a quick turn around and I thought they played very consistent and played the right way,” Pilon said.
In the second game, the Bears took a 2-1 lead with goals from Ryden Amberson and Boston Schmidt. Cameron Allard and Kobe Wotta each scored in the third period, securing a 4-2 win over the Stars.
Pilon noted the Bears’ strong penalty kill in the first game and praised the goalie’s performance. “The second game I thought the line of Cooper Flath, Kobe Wotta, and Brendan Jones played really well. They were matched against Battleford’s top players and they were able to get on the score sheet as well. So I thought that was a stand out for sure,” he said.
Currently, the Bears sit second in the league standings, tied with the Regina Pat Canadians at 16 points, though Pilon acknowledged a disparity in games played across the league.
“It’s always important to get out to a good start, now where we are 12 games into the season. So it’s not new, it’s not fresh anymore, we are you know, in the meat of our season and it’s important that we get the wins and points when we can,” Pilon said.
“Now that’s back-to-back weekends, getting six points and you know, it’s always to get your points and not wait for the last month or so.”
The Bears have also been active in the community, recently participating in the Southern Plains Co-op Trail of Terror event, where they ran kids’ games and activities.
“We’re wanting that community support, that sponsorship. It’s important that we pay back our time as well. It’s important that our players are out in the community interacting with the kids,” said Pilon.
“To just to see, just to be that, that role model and someone that you know the, the entire community of kids and especially as even minor hockey that they can look up to and know that you know the bears they’re they are just humans as well. They go to school just like every other kid. In Estevan, so knowing that that goal isn’t too far away.”
The Bears return to the ice this weekend for a two-game series against the Warman Wildcats. The first game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2, at Affinity Place at 7:30 p.m., with the second game on Sunday at 2 p.m.
“I know we're again looking for a tough test against a good team coming into Estevan. Warman, they're again one of those teams that haven't played a lot of games, so we were able to see them up north once and came out with a win there. So they're going to be looking for revenge here,” Pilon said.