PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MB (May 15, 2023) – The Brooks Bandits are 3-0 at the 2023 Centennial Cup after nine different players found the back of the net in a 9-0 shutout of the Timmins Rock on Monday at Stride Place.
Ethan Barwick (St. Albert, AB) made 13 saves for his second career National Championship shutout. The Bandits (3-0-0-0) have won 15 straight National Junior A Championship games, and wrap up their Preliminary Round on Tuesday, May 16th vs the Terrebonne Cobras (QJHL) at 3:30 pm (CST).
After a scoreless opening 10 minutes, Brooks got on the board at 12:13 of the 1st period, as forward Jordan Hughesman (Winnipeg, MB) tipped a Danylo Korzhyletskyi (Kyiv, UK) right circle shot to make it 1-0. Defenceman Aiden Celebrini (North Vancouver, BC) scored with a shot through traffic from the from blue line at 13:49 to double the lead to 2-0. Forward Caelan Fitzpatrick (Moose Jaw, SK) scored on a wraparound goal at 17:19 to make it 3-0. Brooks held Timmins to 1 shot in the 1st period.
The Bandits made it 4-0 at 3:54 of the 2nd period as defenceman Dominick Campione (Kolher, WI) carried into the Rock zone, dropping off to forward Tyler Blocha (Bonnyville, AB) who sniped a low, shortside shot to make it 5-0. With eight seconds left in the period, forward Brendan Poshak (Green Bay, WI) wristed an Aiden Fink (Calgary, AB) pass off the rush to make it 5-0.
Forward Hunter Wallace (Oak Lake, MB) scored at 12:41 off a rebound from a Sam Court (Winnipeg, MB) shot to make it 6-0. Fink scored on a one-timer on the powerplay at 17:53 to make it 7-0. With 64 seconds left, forward Mikhail Simchku (Kyiv, UK) finished off a Nathan Free (Calgary, AB) behind the net pass to make it 8-0, and forward Davide Patella (Laval, QC) went top shelf with 17 seconds remaining to seal the 9-0 win.
Final shots were 45-13 Brooks. In the other Group A game on Monday, the Ottawa Jr Senators held off the Yarmouth Mariners for a 4-3 win.
The Bandits wrap up their Preliminary Round on Tuesday, May 16th, when they face the Quebec Junior Hockey League Champion Terrebonne Cobras at 3:30 pm.