The Estevan Bruins will return home with a .500 record from their four-game road trip after splitting weekend games in Battlefords and Kindersley.
The Bruins led the league-leading North Stars 3-2 with less than 10 minutes to play, but Battlefords stormed back and added an empty-netter to defeat Estevan 6-3 on Friday night. The next night in Kindersley, the two teams traded goals throughout the night before Isaiah Thomas scored with 36 seconds left in overtime to lift the Bruins to a 5-4 victory.
Earlier on the road trip, the Bruins defeated Kindersley 4-1 on Tuesday and let in two empty-net goals falling to Humboldt 5-1 on Wednesday.
BATTLEFORDS (6-3) over ESTEVAN
Against Battlefords, rookie defenceman Dayton Deics scored his first career SJHL goal to open the scoring. CJ Corazzin and Tanner Manz assisted on the goal. Then Tyler Savage scored his 4th of the season to put the Bruins up 2-0 in the 1st period, with Troy Hamilton and Griffin Asham-Moroz assisting on the goal.
Battlefords tied the game up at 2-2 before Isaiah Thomas scored his 9th of the season from Jayden Davis and Kolton Leslie to put the Bruins ahead 3-2 after two periods.
Then the North Stars capitalized on some bounces and constant pressure to score three goals in five minutes, adding an empty-netter late to make the final 6-3.
Keenan Rancier (31/36) was tagged with the loss in net for Estevan, while Austin Schwab (29/32) earned the win for Battlefords. Neither team was successful on the powerplay, with Estevan (0/3) and Battlefords (0/1).
ESTEVAN (5-4 OT) over KINDERSLEY
The Klippers jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the Bruins before Jayden Davis scored his 8th of the season while on the powerplay to make it 2-1 after the 1st period. Tyler Savage and Isaiah Thomas assisted on the goal.
Savage scored his 5th of the year and second goal in as many nights, once again on the powerplay, to tie the game at 2-2. Thomas and Devan Harrison assisted on the goal. Kindersley reclaimed the lead, but Tanner Manz tied the game at 3-3 late to even the score heading into the 3rd period. Alex Von Sprecken assisted on the goal, as well as forward Caleb Petrie for the rookie’s first career SJHL point.
Tanner Manz scored once again early in the 3rd period to give the Bruins their first lead of the night, with Petrie and Mason Strutt assisting. But Kindersley tied the game at 4-4 just 30 seconds later, and neither team could score again before the end of regulation so we would need overtime.
Then at the 4:24 mark of overtime, Thomas scored the overtime winner for his 4th goal of the road trip and second game-winner to lift the Bruins to a 5-4 victory.
Keenan Rancier (27/31) earned the win in net for the Bruins, who made all four starts in net on the road trip. Matt Sankner (25/30) was tagged with the loss for Kindersley.
The Bruins powerplay came to life in the game, finishing (2/6) on the night. The Bruins were also perfect on the penalty kill holding Kindersley to (0/3).
Next action is a pair of home game hosting the Flin Flon Bombers on Friday, Nov. 29th and the Notre Dame Hounds on Saturday, Nov. 30th.