The Eagle Sky Estevan Bruins fought hard over the weekend for a pair of games inside Affinity Place. The team walked away with a split decision, winning heavy-handedly against the Notre Dame Hounds 9-0, but falling 7-2 the next day against the Nipawin Hawks.
"They showed some real positives. You know you got to look at that Friday night game and try and build on that. Saturday, obviously, maybe a little bit of a step back as you were trying to build on that momentum. But at the same time, [there's] still the eight games left so it'll be all about moving forward; eyes on the prize [on] the next game ahead," said Marty Martinson, the marketing director and play-by-play host for the Bruins.
Though the split wasn't the result the team wanted, some positives came out of the two games. Friday night saw Beck Boiteau earn his first SJHL win and his first SJHL shutout victory.
"He's a battler in between the pipes. I talked to him after [...] he said, 'Hey! You know what? It's taken a little bit longer [than] maybe we would have liked but you know, now that monkey's off the back there.'. Just to see the teammates' reaction as well, obviously, he was fired up."
"It's such a big part of junior hockey. It's just seeing those guys get that first win, get that first shutout, what it means to them. It's got to bode well for the confidence here heading down the stretch run and looking for [Boiteau] to be a big part of it," Martinson added.
Fans were also treated to a stellar performance by Bruins forward Steven Steranka. A pick-up from the WHL's Red Deer Rebels during the most recent trade deadline in January, he posted two goals and two assists in Notre Dame's takedown Friday night. The following day against Nipawin, he lobbed one of the only two goals scored by Estevan in their loss.
"More than just the numbers, I mean, you see a guy that's got so much confidence, so much poise with the puck, especially as a young guy. Just watching him every night, I mean, he's box office. He brings the fans out of their seats. He's always a dangerous player."
"Like I always mention on the broadcast there, the best players are guys who make everybody else their best as well, and he's one of those guys. When he steps on the ice, he makes everybody dangerous because of his ability to make the play, find the open man, and make that pass." -Martinson on Steranka's performance over the weekend.
The black-and-gold are now shifting their focus on the last eight games of the season, including three games on the road this weekend.
- Thursday, February 27 - Estevan @ Notre Dame
- Friday, February 28 - Estevan @ Battleford
- Saturday, March 1 - Estevan @ Battleford
Martinson is expecting a real competitive road swing this weekend. "On the ice we can expect fast and furious action. For Notre Dame, the Bruins should be confident heading into that one on Thursday. At the same time, [you] can't take these guys lightly. They're going to be a desperate hockey team. They're looking to snap a 13-game skid there so you know they're going to be bringing their best on home ice."
"Into the Battlefords, that's a team that Estevan's found some success against as well earlier in the year. I remember when they came into Estevan and it was the weekend sweep for the Bruins there back before Christmas. So, it's going to be another competitive couple games."