The Bombers dropped one to the SJHL's last-place team Friday night, losing 5-2 to Weyburn.
Heading into Friday's game, the Red Wings were undermanned - five players on the team were suspended earlier this week for violations of the SJHL's social media policy. Those players include leading scorer Nik Sombrowski, starting goalie Jackson Fellner, forward Davis Chorney and defenders Nicolas Kovacs and Sam Skillestad. All five players were out of the lineup Friday and will be out of the lineup against Flin Flon Saturday night.
As a result of the suspension, according to the SJHL's online gamesheet, Weyburn played Friday's game with 10 forwards, five defencemen and a pair of goalies with only one game of junior A experience.
The Bombers also held their annual teddy bear toss at Friday's game, with fans invited to toss stuffed animals onto the ice for charity after the team's first goal.
No bears were tossed in the first period, with both teams trading momentum but the Bombers outshooting their foes. In the second, despite their 16-skater lineup, Weyburn pulled ahead, with Beau Larson finding the twine past Bomber goalie Max Hildebrand halfway through the second. Nick Dobson did the same five minutes later, giving Weyburn a 2-0 lead.
Jaxon Martens finally brought down the bears in the last minute of the second period, stopping the game for a while as the fur flew. Members of the Flin Flon Skating Club and a few Bombers helped wrangle the bears off the ice into the back of a waiting truck.
Weyburn extended the lead in the third, with Austyn Hansen getting on the board. Cole Duperreault scored a powerplay goal midway through the third to get the Bombers within one, but a pair of empty-net goals in the final minute by Troy Hamilton iced the game for Weyburn.
Despite playing in only his second-ever junior A game, Boston Gelowitz got the win for the visitors with a 42 save performance. Hildebrand was stuck with the loss for the Bombers after making 22 saves.
The loss moves the Bombers down from being in sole position of third place in the league to now being tied with the Battlefords North Stars - both teams now have 39 points in 29 games. By contrast, the Red Wings are still last in the league, with 19 points on the season, four behind rivals Melville.
The Bombers will seek to avenge their loss at home Saturday night against Weyburn.
