Blackfalds Bulldogs Bonnyville Pontiacs Brooks Bandits Calgary Canucks Camrose Kodiaks Canmore Eagles Drayton Valley Thunder Drumheller Dragons Fort McMurray Oil Barons Grande Prairie Storm Lloydminster Bobcats Okotoks Oilers Olds Grizzlys Sherwood Park Crusaders Spruce Grove Saints Whitecourt Wolverines

Bandits comeback falls just short in 5-4 setback in Drumheller on Friday

DRUMHELLER, AB (January 21, 2022) – Despite a frantic finish that saw the Brooks Bandits nearly tie the game in the final minute, the comeback fell just short, and the Drumheller Dragons held on for a 5-4 win on Friday at the Memorial Arena.

It was only the Bandits (40-3-1) third regulation loss in 43 games this season.

 

Brooks scored first, as defenceman Wes Turner (Holy Cross) redirected a left circle pass from Noah Hackett (Niagara) at 10:08 to make it 1-0 Brooks. But the Bandits were called for a roughing penalty on the play, so Drumheller went on the powerplay and evened up the game as Hayden Prosofsky cleaned up a rebound to make it 1-1 just 20 seconds after Turner scored. Shots in the 1st were 12-8 Brooks.

The Dragons took the lead at 5:20 of the 2nd, as forward Ty Daneault scored on a forehand shot from the left circle to make it 2-1. Drumheller went up 3-1 at 6:26 as Alexey Trischuk fired in a left wing shot from the left circle. Brooks would get one back at 10:43 on the powerplay, as Hackett sniped a top right corner goal to cut the lead to 3-2. Shots in the 2nd were 18-10 Brooks.

The 3rd period started great for Brooks, as forward TJ Hughes (Merychurst) took a left circle pass from Turner and slid a backhand shot into the Dragon net just 59 seconds into the frame to tie the game 3-3. However, Drumheller reclaimed their two-goal lead, with Kiano Robinson and Kody Willick scoring at 5:02 and 7:54.

Bandits forward Devin Phillips (Holy Cross) battled for a rebound from a McAllister right circle shot, and tucked in his 16th of the season to cut the Dragon lead to 5-4 with just over 11 minutes to play. Despite Bandits goaltender Ethan Barwick coming up with some clutch saves on a few Dragons odd-man rushes, Brooks was unable to solve Dragon goaltender Eric Ward in the dying minute. Shots in the 3rd were 15-11 Drumheller, but overall favoured Brooks 41-33.

The Bandits will look to get back in the win column on Sunday when they host the Camrose Kodiaks at the Centennial Regional Arena. Game time is 4:00 pm.

-30-