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Bandits build 5-0 lead in the 1st and win 8th straight, beating Canmore 6-1 on Saturday

BROOKS, AB (December 4, 2021) – Zach Bookman had four points, and Ethan Mercer scored twice as the Brooks Bandits won their 8th straight game following a 6-1 victory over the Canmore Eagles on Saturday at the Centennial Regional Arena.

Goaltender Ethan Barwick made 19 saves in front of 1,057 fans, as the Bandits built a 5-0 lead in the 1st and never looked back, improving to 28-1-1 and sitting 1st in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The Bandits haven’t lost in regulation in 28 games.

Photo: Em Duncan

Highlights:  

Forward Nicholas DeGraves opened the scoring 8:30 into the game, as he drove the puck to the right circle and fired in a forehand shot to make it 1-0. Just over a minute later, Bookman (Merrimack) fired in a top left corner shot from up high on the powerplay to increase the lead to 2-0. Just nine seconds later, forward Ethan Mercer tapped in a Dominick Campione (Arizona State) net front pass to make it 3-0. Over a minute later, Bookman scored again on a breakaway pass from Aiden Fink (Wisconsin) to give Brooks a 4-0 lead. With under two minutes to go in the period, Bookman carried the puck behind the Eagles net and made a no-look pass to Mercer, who shelved the 5-0 goal. Shots were 20-3 Bandits.

Canmore made a goaltender change to start the 2nd, as starter Andreai Proctor-Ramirez was switched for Matthew Malin. Bandits forward TJ Hughes (Mercyhurst) made it 6-0 on the powerplay at 14:24 as Bookman saucered a pass to Ryan McAllister (Western Michigan) in the left circle, who found an open Hughes at the net for the tap-in. Shots in the 2nd were 11-4 Brooks.

Barwick’s shutout bid was snapped at the 7:35 mark as Carter Myrol scored off the rush on a crossbar and in shot to make it 6-1, but that would be as close as the Eagles would get. Shots in the 3rd were 13-10 Canmore, but 41-20 Bandits overall.

Postgame comments from Zach Bookman:

Postgame comments from Ethan Mercer:

The Bandits next game is Sunday, December 5 when they travel to face the Kodiaks in Camrose. Game time is 2:00 pm from Encana Arena, live on Real Country 105.7 FM.