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 double up Oil Barons at AJHL Showcase for 3rd straight victory

BLACKFALDS, AB (September 30, 2022) – The Brooks Bandits finished September on a 3 game winning streak, doubling the Fort McMurray Oil Barons 6-3 on Friday at the Eagles Builder’s Centre to wrap up their 2022 AJHL Showcase.

Goaltender Ethan Barwick (Lindenwood) made 25 saves, while Aiden Fink (Wisconsin) had 3 points (1G, 2A) as the Bandits improved to 6-1-1 on the season.

Fink opened the scoring 8:08 into the game on a breakaway following a Bandits successful penalty kill to make it 1-0. The Bandits doubled their lead to 2-0 with just 6 seconds left in the period, as centre Hudson Malinoski (Providence) won a faceoff to Hunter Wallace (RPI), who blasted his team-leading 6th goal of the season. Shots were 12-6 Bandits in the 1st.

Brooks forward Caelan Fitzpatrick (Niagara) scored off the rush on a forehand shot from the slot with 9:33 left in the 2nd to make it 3-0 Brooks. But the Oil Barons got one back at 17:22 from Ryder Matter to cut the Bandits lead to Bandits to 3-1. However, 25 seconds later, Malinoski one-timed a Wallace pass to give Brooks a 4-1 lead.

Fort McMurray pushed back in the 3rd, with back to back goals from Cade Meiklejohn at 7:00 and Austin Spiridakis at 11:14 on a 5 -on-3 powerplay to make it a 4-3 game. But the Bandits would pull away at even strength at 13:37, as rookie forward Braden Keeble (Yale) tipped a point shot for his first AJHL goal for an insurance goal, making it 5-3 Brooks. Then, Bandits forward Elliot Dutil (Lindenwood) would clean up a loose puck off a shot from Dario Beljo (AIC) that went off the left post, scoring his 3rd goal of the Showcase to give Brooks a 6-3 lead, the final. Shots were 31-28 Brooks.

The Bandits are back in action on Friday, October 7, when they host the Okotoks Oilers at the Centennial Regional Arena. Game time is 7:00 pm.