Reaction Big Win In Yorkton And Look Ahead to ND Matchup With Cole Zahn and Hudson Morrison

It was a big win for the Estevan Bruins last night in Yorkton over the Terriers. The Bruins were missing Tyler Kauk, Matt Brykaliuk, Taylor Reich and Calder Neufeld.

I stopped by practice and talked to Assistant Coach Cole Zahn who now has a perfect 1-0 record as a Head Coach and I also talked to Hudson Morrison who scored two goals last night.

I talked to both of them about the Bruins big win and another big matchup tomorrow night against Notre Dame,

                                                                       Cole Zahn

                                                          Hudson Morrison

Kauk Off To Solid Start at WJAC Camp

Estevan Bruins Defenceman Tyler Kauk is a member of Team Blue of the Canada West World Junior A Challenge Camp and yesterday Team Blue took part in its first scrimmage met Team Red.

Kauk picked up an assist on the lone goal for Blue as they lost 2-1 Team Red.

Team Blue will face Team White tonight in the final scrimmage.

Kauk should find out tomorrow morning if he's heading to Nova Scotia as apart Canada West to be in the World Junior A Challenge. If not he'll return to the Bruins.

Bruins Pass Test in Yorkton With 5-3 Win

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins were on the road in an arena that hasn't been too kind to them over the past few years and they were missing three of their top forwards along with one of their top defenceman and they still found a way to win. The Bruins picked up a 5-3 win over the Terriers last night.

The Bruins didn't waste any time grabbing the lead as Hudson Morrison scored 1:27 to give the Bruins the early lead. Yorkton would tie the game up about six minutes later but right before the end of the period Austin Daae scored his third of the year to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.

In the second period the Bruins gained control as Tyler Paslawski notched his third goal of the season to extend the Bruins lead. Right before the end of the period, Morrison scored his second goal of the night on the powerplay to give the Bruins a 4-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Yorkton opened up the scoring in the third period but reigning Rookie of the Week in the SJHL Darcy DeRoose put the game away with his fourth goal of the game to give the Bruins a 5-2 edge. Yorkton did score late in the third but it end the Bruins prevail with a 5-3 win. Morrison and DeRoose each had three points on the night while Paslawski had two. Curtis Martinu made 31 saves to earn the win. With the win the Bruins now trail Kindersley by one point for fourth in the Sherwood Conference and Notre Dame by two points.

The Bruins were without Taylor Reich, Matt Brykaliuk, and Calder Neufeld due to injuries and Tyler Kauk who was in Calgary for the World Junior A Challenge Camp. Cole Zahn picked up the win as the team's Head Coach with Keith Cassidy in Calgary for the World Junior A Camp.

The Bruins will get a great chance to tie the Hounds tomorrow night as they head to Wilcox to meet the Hounds for the first time since the postseason.

Two Cent Tuesday

--- Some people were already contacting the radio station asking if the Bruins games in Yorkton and Notre Dame would be on the radio because there's no more World Series. But the first game on the radio will remain one week from tonight when they visit the Notre Dame Hounds in Wilcox. There's a few things behind the scenes that needs to be taken care of before the first game on the air. Trust me there's no one who wants to hit the road more than me.

 --- Plenty of changes for the Bruins tonight, Matt Brykaliuk is out of the lineup with a shoulder injury. Taylor Reich, Calder Neufeld are all out with their injuries so there will probably be some line shuffling for tonight's game.

-- Cole Zahn is behind the Bruins bench as Head Coach tonight with Keith Cassidy in Calgary for the World Junior A Camp. Cassidy is expected to be back with the Bruins on Thursday. I know the players respect Zahn a lot and I'm sure they would love to give him a win for him tonight in Yorkton.

--- Tonight's game will be a true measuring stick for the Bruins. It's too early in the season to say it's a must win game of any kind but at the same time if the Bruins could earn a win on the road in Yorkton it will do a lot for their confidence.

-- I went to watch the University of Regina Cougars and Mount Royal University Cougars Men's Hockey game on Saturday hoping to watch former Bruins Dominic Perrault,Troy Hunter and Liam Brennan in action. Unfortunately Perrault was a healthy scratch for the game so I only got to see Hunter and Brennan on the ice and it was all Mount Royal as they cruised to a win. Although I had a chance to sit for the most part with Dom and his Mom during the hockey game and got a chance to catch up with them.

-- Speaking of Perrault he'll be the guest on the second intermission of next Tuesday's broadcast in Notre Dame. I'm going to try and feature a different Bruins Alumni during the broadcast this season, so if you're a Bruins alumni or if you know one drop me a line at blaineweyland@hotmail.com or bweyland@goldenwestradio.com, I would love to have you on the broadcast this season.

--- I went to the Riders game before I went to the Cougars game on Saturday and there's no doubt in mind the Riders are better off playing in the West during the postseason. Why you may ask. The weakest point for the Riders their secondary and I think Ricky Ray and Anthony Calvillo are likely going to pick it apart.

-- Still think Corey Chamblin deserves credit for leading the Riders to 8 or possibly 9 wins. This was a rebuilding year for the Riders and they're not quite done. I think this team is built for the 2013 season and if they add a couple of pieces (Secondary, Canadian Receiver, Help on the front 7) the Riders should be serious contenders. Although if the stars align they could make the run this year, I mean it's the CFL playoffs all you have to do is win three games in November. But that's easier said than done.

--- My prediction when the Atlanta Falcons lose their first game? When they head to the SuperDome in New Orleans and face the Saints. It's going to be a game that ends 52-48. I can't see the Falcons going 16-0 but I could see them going 14-2 and losing in the first round

--- When the Blue Jays were hiring a manager two years ago I was hoping Sandy Alomar Jr. would get the job and once again I hope he gets the job.

-- Funniest TV Show in my eyes..The League. If you love sports especially this is the show for you. I'm going to watch the first three episodes of Season 4 tonight.

-- That's it for this week looking forward to being on the air one week from tonight in Wilcox.

DeRoose Named Rookie of the Week

A solid week from Bruins Rookie Forward Darcy DeRoose was recognized by the SJHL as he was named this week's Rookie of the Week.

DeRoose scored a pair of goals and added an assist in the Bruins 4-1 win over Battlefords on Friday night. DeRoose scored his first goal in the SJHL the previous game against Weyburn.

With the Bruins injuries, DeRoose will be expected to help fill the void left in the Bruins lineup.

Zahn To Fill in For Cassidy As Bruins Head Coach Tomorrow Night

With Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy helping out with the World Junior A Challenge Camp in Calgary this week, Cole Zahn will be the Head Coach for the Bruins tomorrow night when they head to Yorkton. Former Bruins Captain Kyle Garagan will be joining Zahn behind the bench in Yorkton.

I had a chance to talk to Zahn about the change of him being the Head Coach tomorrow in Yorkton and also talk about tomorrow's game against the Terriers. 

Bruins Cruise Past Northstars

Bruins Salute the Fans After the Win

The Estevan Bruins earned their fifth point in their last three games with a 4-1 win over the Battlefords Northstars at Spectra Place.

The Bruins had plenty of chances to score in the first period but they were unable to find the back of the net until Austin Daae scored to give the Bruins a 1-0. After the game Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy said he was a little disappointed that it was only 1-0 because the Bruins had a lot of quality scoring opportunities but they either missed the net or the Bruins misfired on their shots.

In the second period in the opening minutes with the a delayed call going against the Northstars, Hudson Morrison did a great job dekeing out a Northstars defenceman at the blue line and fed a great pass to Darcy DeRoose who scored to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead. DeRoose would add his second of the game in the second period to make the score 3-0. For DeRoose it was his third goal in the last two games.

With three minutes remaining in the period the Bruins Wyatt Garagan was called a spearing penalty and a checking from behind penalty on the same play which gave Battlefords a six minute advantage. Despite being shorthanded for six minutes the Bruins were able to kill off the penalty.

In the third Battlefords was able to end the shutout bid for Curtis Maritnu was ended with 4:13 remaining when Luke McColgan scored to to cut the score to 3-1. With five seconds remaining in the game Tyler Paslawski scored to make the final 4-1.

Martinu had 39 saves to pick up the win while DeRoose ended the night with a goal and an assist.

Next action for the Bruins is Tuesday when they travel to Yorkton to face the Terriers. 

Bruins Giving Back to Community

Ben Williams, Hudson Morrison, David Robertson and Steven Glass

Even though they haven't played a game this week, the CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins have been very busy this week. They have been volunteering at many different locations in the community.

On Monday they helped out  by volunteering at the Days Inn. Then on Tuesday they helped out bagging groceries at Sobey's and volunteered at the Estevan DayCare Co-Operators. On Wednesday they served breakfast at the Hillcrest School and then served coffee at McDonald's and Tim Horton's. Yesterday the players carved pumpkins at Creighton Lodge and Hillside Manor. Today Keith Cassidy will be taking part in Q and A with Coffee With the Bruins and then tomorrow the players are volunteering at the Initiation Hockey Jamboree.

David Robertson was one of the players who volunteered at Creighton Lodge yesterday. He said it was a lot of fun giving back to the community and had fun afternoon interacting with the residents.

Robertson was joined by Steven Glass, Hudson Morrison and Ben Williams. When it came to the pumpkins everyone was impressed with Glass' carving of the Estevan Bruins logo. 

Bruins Acquire Tagoona and Wilde In A Pair of Deals

Even though the Estevan Bruins picked up three points on the weekend the club decided to shake things up with a couple of trades today.

The team acquired Roger Tagoona from the Battlefords Northstars along with 96 defenceman Carter Folk who's playing with the AAA Midget Regina Pat Canadians.

Heading to the Northstars are 1995 Goalie Ryland Pashovitz and 1995 Forward Wyatt Johnson.

The Bruins also pick up 1993 Brendan Wilde from the Weyburn Red Wings for future considerations.

Here's the stat line on Tagoona



Here's the stat line for Wilde



Tagoona four points in the 2010-11 playoffs was against the Bruins in the Survivor Series.

Locker Talk With Taylor Reich and Brandon Halbgewachs

Joining me on Locker Talk tonight from the Estevan Bruins are Taylor Reich and Brandon Halbgewachs. We recapped the Bruins weekend against Weyburn and Flin Flon and take a look at the upcoming games.

We also talk about how all three of us get our names mispronounced a lot. (Obviously it's worse for Brandon) We also discuss what the guys like to do away from the ice.


Here's a bonus feature with me Reich and Halbgewachs.

Kauk Selected For World Junior A Selection Camp

Today the final 60 player selection camp roster for Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge was named. The lone representative from the Estevan Bruins was Tyler Kauk. The camp begins Sunday in Calgary.

Kauk will head to the Camp this weekend and if he's selected to the final roster he will leave Calgary and head to Nova Scotia next week. Kauk will miss the Bruins game on Tuesday in Yorkton and if he makes Canada West he could be up out for an additional four games. I had a chance to speak with Kauk after practice today about the selection.

The Halliburton Back the Bruins Week

With the Bruins having a few days off before their next game on Friday at home against Battlefords, they're giving back to the community this week with the Halliburton Back the Bruins Week, here's the press release from the club.

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins, along with Halliburton, their “Official Community Outreach Sponsor” would like to announce that the week of November 22-26th will be the “Halliburton Back the Bruins Week”. The Estevan Bruins organization as a whole understands and realizes the tremendous support that Estevan and the surrounding areas have given us this year and in the years past; so we want to give back. This annual event shows our community how much we care and appreciate everything that it does for our club. The Halliburton Back the Bruins week will have the Bruins volunteering around the community in a variety of locations, giving back to those who have given so much to us.


Attached is a copy of the volunteering the Bruins players and staff will be participating in this week. The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins would again like to take this opportunity to thank all of those people in Estevan and Area for the support that they have shown us this season.

Bruins Bounce Back in Weyburn

 


The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins were able to grab a much needed 5-2 win over the Weyburn Red Wings. With the win the Bruins move past the Red Wings into 5th spot of the Sherwood Conference with 8 points on the season. The Bruins were also able to salvage three points out of their two games on the weekend.

The Bruins had a strong start to their game as they outworked the Red Wings early in the first period creating a few scoring opportunities but were unable to capitalize them. The Bruins hard work would pay off as Darcy DeRoose scored on his second chance of a shift and managed to sneak one past Brett Tesky to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

In the second period, the Bruins wasted little time to make it 2-0 as Zach Douglas found Cole Olson on the doorstep and Olson managed to get enough on the shot to sneak it past Tesky to make it 2-0.

The Red Wings would respond just over a minute later as Miguel Pereira circled with the puck for a few seconds before finding former Bruin Ryan Ostertag in the slot and burying his 7th goal of the season to make it 2-1. But before the end of the period the puck bounced out of mid air and bounced to Tanner Froese who scored his 5th goal of the season to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead heading into the second intermission.

Unlike last night where the Bruins against the Bombers, the Bruins came out strong in the third period. Nick Weiss scored 13 seconds into the third period as his shot went off the post and into back of the net to extend the Bruins lead to 4-1. 13 minutes later Weiss would add his second of the game to give the Bruins a 5-1 cushion.

Ostertag would score his second of the game on a 3 on 2 rush shortly afterwards 25 seconds later to end off the scoring as the Bruins ended up with a 5-2 victory. Curtis Martinu picked up the win making 23 saves. Neither team was able to score on the powerplay as the Bruins went 0-4.

Weiss said after the game the Bruins had more urgency in the third period after last night's collapse against Flin Flon. "We could have another third period like last night, we controlled the whole game last night and blew it in the third and came out tonight in the third period tonight and knew we had to win it."

Bruins Head Coach Keith Cassidy said the team's approach in the third period was no different than previous two periods. The team stayed aggressive and put the pressure on the Red Wings and were rewarded with a couple of goals.

After the game Cassidy said we would find out about the Bruins mental toughness in the game against Weyburn and he was happy with the results. "It's tough times when you're in a situation that you're in, but those guys in there never doubted what they could do and we came out tonight and yeah it's one game and we're going have to back it up and I think you saw the strong side of your team which is something we strive to be each and every night."

The Bruins will have a few days off to recharge their batteries before they're back in action on Friday night at Spectra Place when they host the Battlefords Northstars.

Nick Weiss comments after last night's win. 

Keith Cassidy comments  on last night's win.

Bruins Let A Point Slip Away to Bombers

The CanElson Drilling Estevan Bruins let a point slipped away from them last night as they lost in overtime to the Flin Flon Bombers 4-3.

The Bruins started out strong in the opening period with some early chances but the game remained scoreless until Ausin Yano's bouncing puck found it's way past Devin Buffalo to give the Bruins a 1-0.

The second period the Bruins continued with another strong effort and rewarded when Austin Daae found Tanner Froese on a 2 on 1 rush and Froese managed to back hand a shot past Buffalo to give the Bruins a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes.

But the Bombers controlled the third period. Brett Boehm got the Bombers on the scoreboard to cut the Bruins lead to 2-1. Then Cole McCaig deflected a point shot to tie the game at 2-2. The Bombers would silence the crowd at Spectra Place just over a minute later when Brett Penner scored for the Bombers giving Flin Flon.

With just over a minute left, Tyler Paslawski forced a Bomber penalty which set up a 6 on 4 advantage for the Bruins. With 36 seconds left, Tyler Kauk carried the puck into the Bombers end and slide it across to Matt Brykaliuk who scored and tied the game at 3-3.

But the Bombers would get the final laugh in overtime as Landon Hiebert scored 33 seconds into overtime to give the Bombers the win 4-3.

After the game Keith Cassidy  wasn't happy with the final result. He said in the second intermission that he stressed to continue playing like they did in the first two periods as they were playing a lot inside of the Bombers end. He said the first goal was a result of a Bruins give away which is something they shouldn't be doing. He admitted that it was a frustrating result and felt for the guys in the locker room for the guys in the locker room.

You can hear Cassidy's comments below.

The Bruins next game is tonight when they meet the Weyburn Red Wings at Crescent Point Place. Opening faceoff is 6:00

Bruins Host Bombers Tonight. Q and A with Taylor Reich and Cole Zahn

After a week long break, the Estevan Bruins are back in action tonight when they meet the Flin Flon Bombers in a rematch of last Saturday's game in Flin Flon where the Bombers won 2-1.

Earlier this week I had the chance to speak with Taylor Reich and Assistant Coach Cole Zahn about tonight's game.



                                                                     Taylor Reich

                                                                 Cole Zahn

Rebuilding Woodlawn Field is Underway

The process of rebuilding Woodlawn Field began this week with sod being laid on the field. Yesterday the Woodlawn Athletic Field Committee announced their short and long term plan to restore Woodlawn Park and turn it into an elite facility that could host some special events like the Saskatchewan Summer Games.

The plan for the restoration of the park will be completed in three phases. The first phase of the project will see the facility return to operation in 2013. Included in phase one is general cleanup, reshaping of the field, irrigation, building restoration. The cost of the first phase is expected to be around $150,000 and so far $111,000 have been raised.

The second phase of the project will see improvement to the facility for Field sports at Woodlawn Field which includes field lighting, improvement to spectator stands, surrounding fencing, parking areas, and the family experience which includes the picnic area, playground, and score clock. The total cost of phase two is projected to be $327,000 and right now $201,000 have been raised.

The third phase of the project will see the construction of a running track along with track and field facilities.

The Woodlawn Athletic Field Committee is made up of members from Woodlawn Regional Park, Estevan Minor Football, ECS Football, Estevan Soccer, and Estevan Baseball/Softball/Slo-Pitch. The group is coming together to make sure that Woodlawn Field is used by many groups of the community and is apart of the rebirth of Woodlawn Park that continues the recovery from the floodings in Spring of 2011. The Woodlawn Athleltic Field Committee announced they would seek out to host the 2016 Saskatchewan Summer Games, while it will take a lot of work from the community to make the idea, the Woodlawn Athletic Park Committee is willing to get the ball rolling by restoring Woodlawn Field.

The committee will be seeking sponsorship and donations from the community to help make this project a reality. If you're interested, you're asked to email at WAF@EstevanMinorFootball.com or contact your community representative.