This article will be updated following each game in the Best-of-5 quarterfinal series between the Innovex Estevan Bears and Swift Current Legionnaires.
BEST-OF-5 SERIES: Bears Win Series 3-2
GAME 1 – Bears @ Swift Current – Sat. Feb. 28th – SC 6-2 over EST
In what is expected to be one of the closest series in the SMAAAHL Quarterfinals, it would be Swift Current holding serve on home ice in Game 1. The Legionnaires had the majority of the scoring chances in the 1st period and would get the first goal of the game. Jackson Squires beat Evan Hutcheon after a turnover in front of the Bears’ net to make it 1-0 at the 13:23 mark. However, the Bears would respond before the end of the period as Kayson Anderson sent an alley-oop pass from his own zone to Boston Schmidt who picked up the puck and snapped a quick shot past the blocker of Cade Mitchell at the 15:14 mark to make it 1-1 after one.
The Legionnaires would pull away in the 2nd period, capitalizing on a pair of turnovers at the Bears’ blue line. First, it would be Kasey Gleim one-timing home a pass while shorthanded to make it 2-1 just 31 seconds into the middle frame. It remained a one-goal game until the 11:17 mark, when Squires scored his second of the game to make it 3-1. Then after Anderson took a charging penalty, Mason Fauser deflected home a shot-pass on the powerplay at the 15:20 mark to make it 4-1 after 40 minutes.
That remained the score for most of the 3rd period. The Bears would pull Hutcheon for the extra attacker with more than 4:00 left to play trying to close the gap. The Bears would cut the deficit to 4-2 at the 16:08 mark while on a 6-on-4 powerplay, as Dylan Brass banged home the loose puck on top of the crease with Ethan Boehm and Brendan Jones assisting. The Bears kept the goalie pulled, but it would be Swift Current closing out the game with empty-net goals from Trae Peterson at 17:08 and Hunter Wilm at 18:18 to round out the scoring at 6-2. Final shots on goal were 38-26 for the Legionnaires.
Before the end of the game, a skirmish broke out in the Bears’ zone after defenceman Reid Kosior knocked Rory Dewar into the boards. Multiple players were given misconducts and exited early, with Kosior being assessed a checking-from-behind penalty on the play. According to the SMAAAHL League Discipline page, Kosior has been suspended for Game 2 for the infraction. The league page also made a note in their Monday Confidential article on March 1st that stated there had been “…an apparent interaction between fans and the visiting Estevan Innovex Bears…”. It seems the Best-of-5 series has already reached a boiling point, and we’ll see how it carries over into Game 2 in Estevan.
GAME 2 – Legionnaires @ Estevan – Tue. Mar. 3rd – EST 8-6 over SC
The Innovex Estevan Bears responded on home ice as their top-tier offence rose to the occasion in Game 2. The Bears got the opening goal just 3:06 into the game as Joe Watson banged home a loose puck in front of Cade Mitchell to make it 1-0, with assists to Will Nicholson and Simon Preston. But the Legionnaires would respond just 20 seconds later as Kasey Gleim masterfully deflected a point shot past Evan Hutcheon to tie it 1-1. It remained that way until the 16:44 mark as Hunter Wilm finished off a 3-on-2 rush to make it 2-1 Swift Current after 20 minutes.
The Bears came out with by far their best period of the series in the 2nd, outshooting Swift Current 21-6 in the middle frame and scoring three unanswered goals. At the 2:42 mark, Gunner Moore stripped Wilm of the puck behind the Legionnaires net. Rhett Amberson picked it up and sent a pass into the slot for Brendan Jones who sniped his first of the series high-blocker past Mitchell to tie the game 2-2. The Bears regained their lead at the 6:53 mark as Van Huebner jumped into the rush and buried a rebound in the crease after an incredible individual effort and end-to-end rush from Moore to make it 3-2. And at the 14:00 mark, just after a powerplay expired, Jones ripped his second goal of the game blocker-side from Moore and Kayson Anderson to make it 4-2 after 40 minutes. Also in the 2nd period, Legionnaires captain Trae Peterson was assessed a 2-minute checking-from-behind penalty and game misconduct for his illegal hit on Jones.
Moore kept the train rolling just 19 seconds into the 3rd period with his first of the series, deflecting home a point shot from Preston to increase the lead to 5-2 with Jones earning an assist on the play as well. But Swift Current wouldn’t go down without a fight, with Porter Nickason scoring a goal just 35 seconds later to make it 5-3. Nickason then buried a rebound only 93 seconds later for his second of the game to make it 5-4 with more than 17 minutes still to play. The night of deflection-goals continued and the Bears restored their two-goal advantage at the 7:54 mark when Ethan Boehm scored his first of the series with Huebner and Anderson assisting making it 6-4. Boehm tallied his second of the period at the 14:48 mark, potting a rebound past Mitchell to make it 7-4 with Huebner and Jaxon Sedor assisting. Swift Current still had five minutes left to try and force overtime, but instead the Bears extended their lead to 8-4 as Boston Schmidt scored into the empty net at 17:05 for his second of the series. Moore earned his 4th and Kayson Anderson earned his 3rd assist of the game on Schmidt’s goal. With rough play and stick work picking up in the final 3 minutes, Bears’ coach Ryan Pilon decided to pull Hutcheon for backup Jaxon Kuchinka with 1:51 to play. Gleim would score two powerplay goals in that final 1:51 for a hat trick, rounding out the scoring in an 8-6 Bears victory.
The series shifts back to Swift Current for Game 3, and a Game 4 will now be necessary on Saturday night back in Estevan.
GAME 3 – Bears @ Swift Current – Thu. Mar. 5th – SC 5-4 over EST
Game 3 would come down to the final minute, but once again it would be the home team skating away with a victory.
The Bears would open the scoring for the second straight game, as Van Huebner scored on his own rebound for his second of the series to make it 1-0 at the 5:01 mark with Brayden Church and Taren Anderson assisting. The Legionnaires would respond quickly as Porter Nickason scored his third of the series on the powerplay at the 8:09 mark to tie the game 1-1. Just 1:46 later, Hudson Postnikoff beat Evan Hutcheon to make it 2-1 Swift Current. At the 15:12 mark, the Bears tied the game with Brendan Jones scoring his third of the series from Gunner Moore and Boston Schmidt on the powerplay to make it 2-2. But with just 16 seconds left in the 1st period, Mason Fauser scored on the powerplay to make it 3-2 for the Legionnaires.
The Bears tied the game early in the 2nd period, with Rhett Amberson getting his first of the quarterfinal from Moore and Jones at the 2:22 mark to make it 3-3. Jake Hargrave restored Swift Current’s lead with a powerplay goal at 4:16 to make it 4-3. Schmidt responded with his second of the series at the 9:46 mark from Jones and Dylan Brass on the powerplay to tie the game at 4-4 after 40 minutes.
The high scoring slowed down in the 3rd period, with neither team able to take the lead until the Legionnaires capitalized on a late powerplay. Trae Peterson deflected home a shot with only 1:13 left in regulation to make it 5-4 Swift Current. The Bears put out the extra attacker in the final minute to try and force overtime, but would be unsuccessful and the Legionnaires would win Game 3 and take a (2-1) lead in the Best-of-5 semi-final.
GAME 4 – Swift Current @ Estevan – Sat. Mar. 7th – EST 4-2 over SC
The Innovex Estevan Bears came out with their most gutsy effort of the series in Game 4 with their season on the line. It would be Swift Current opening the scoring at the 7:33 mark as Kyler Bilokreli snapped home a shot past Hutcheon’s blocker to make it 1-0. The Bears responded at 10:07 off a pretty passing play as Dylan Brass and Ethan Boehm set up Boston Schmidt for his 3rd of the series to make it 1-1. However, Carter Schmidt gave the Legionnaires the lead heading into the intermission as his seeing-eye shot beat Hutcheon at 14:22 to make it 2-1 visitors after 20 minutes.
The Bears bounced back in the 2nd period as Rhys Petersmeyer’s backhand squeaked through Cade Mitchell at 3:33 for his first of the series to tie the game at 2-2, with Taren Anderson and Van Huebner assisting. Just two minutes later at 5:20, the Bears took their first lead as Will Nicholson deflected home his first goal with assists to Huebner and Gunner Moore to make it 3-2. Swift Current thought they tied the game on the powerplay midway through the period, but the official lost sight of a loose puck and blew the whistle before a Legionnaire player shot the puck in the net to nullify the goal and it stayed 3-2 after two periods.
The 3rd period would be the most tight checking one of the series with both teams looking for the all-important next goal. Evan Hutcheon made two separate incredible pad saves off wide-open scoring chances in close to keep the Bears ahead. The Legionnaires went on a late powerplay with 3:32 remaining after a checking-from-behind penalty to Will Nicholson, but the Bears penalty kill were able to hold off Swift Current. The Legionnaires pulled the goalie for an extra attacker and had some scramble chances around the net, but with the final seconds ticking down Gunner Moore sent the puck down the ice and Boston Schmidt fired the puck into the empty net just before time expired to round out the scoring 4-2.
The series shifts back to Swift Current for Game 5, with the winner advancing to the SMAAAHL semi-final against the Regina Pat Canadians.
GAME 5 – Bears @ Swift Current – Sun. Mar. 8th – EST 6-2 over SC
The Innovex Estevan Bears went on the road for Game 5, looking to punch their ticket to the semi-final needing to defeat the Legionnaires in Swift Current for the first time this season.
Swift Current opened the scoring as a Jake Hargrave point shot off a face-off deflected off a pair of Bears and past Evan Hutcheon at the 5:16 mark to make it 1-0. The Bears bounced back right away, as Boston Schmidt scored his 6th of the series from Dylan Brass and Ethan Boehm at the 6:15 mark to tie the game 1-1.
That remained the score heading into the 2nd period, where the visiting Bears would take control of Game 5. Rhett Amberson gave the Bears a 2-1 lead just 1:27 into the period, with assists to Gunner Moore and Brendan Jones. Hunter Wilm responded for Swift Current at 3:22 to make it 2-2. Not long after, the Bears regained the lead as Brendan Jones scored his 4th of the series at the 4:55 mark with assists from Amberson and Reid Kosior. Jones increased the lead to 4-2 at the 17:40 mark with his second of the game with Moore and Amberson assisting. 
The Bears carried that momentum into the 3rd period at the 1:43 mark as Moore tucked home his 2nd of the series from Jones and Van Huebner to make it 5-2. Swift Current had chances and a couple powerplay opportunities as the period went on, but were unable to score and trim the deficit. Then with only 2:21 remaining, Jones broke in and scored his 3rd of the game and 5th point of the night to seal a 6-2 victory and win the Best-of-5 series (3-2).
Evan Hutcheon was the star for the Bears in the final two games of the series, stopping a combined 73/77 shots in Games 4 & 5 for a .948 SV% and making a number of highlight-reel saves at key moments of the game.
