BROOKS, AB (October 29, 2022) – Hudson Malinsoki scored five points, Aiden Fink had a hat trick and the Bandits went 6 for 6 on the powerplay in a 9-3 beating of the Drumheller Dragons on Saturday at the Centennial Regional Arena.
Ethan Barwick made 17 saves as the Bandits (16-1-2) have won four straight games, and haven’t lost in regulation in 14 matches.
Adam Raesler opened the scoring at 3:26 shelving a short-side shot to make it 1-0 Drumheller. But the Bandits tied the game 1-1 at 14:02 on the powerplay, as Aiden Fink (Wisconsin) one-timed a Hunter Wallace (RPI) pass from the left circle. Shots were 12-5 Brooks in the period.
Brooks doubled the lead to 2-1 at :52 as forward Tyler Blocha (Northern Michigan) finished off a corner pass from Danylo Korzhyletskyi. Fink made it 3-1 at 4:05 on the powerplay, as he scored from the left circle on the powerplay into the top shelf. Less than a minute later, defenceman Aiden Celebrini (Boston University) scored top shelf to increase the lead to 4-1 for his first career AJHL goal. Forward Heath Armstrong also shelved a shot at 10:45 to extend the lead to 5-1. Wallace made it 6-1 at 14:51 on a one-timer on the powerplay from Sam Court (New Hamshire). Shots in the 2nd were 17-7 Bandits.
Malinoski sniped a top left shot at 5:00 of the 3rd on a pass from Court to extend the lead to 7-1 on the powerplay. Jacob Goudreau of the Dragons got one back, getting his own loose puck in the slot and scoring at 7:20 to make it 7-2. But Fink would complete the hat trick at 13:39 on the powerplay, tucking in a shot short side past Dragons starter Kaden Toussaint to extend the Bandits lead to 8-2. Raesler tipped in a Noah Danielson pass to make it 8-3 at 15:08, but Bandits forward Jordan Hughesman (Merrimack) cleaned up a Korzhyletskyi drive to the net at 17:59 to increase the lead to 9-3, the final. Shots were 34-20 Brooks.
The Bandits host the Camrose Kodiaks on Wednesday, November 2. Game time is 6:30 pm at the Centennial Regional Arena.
Photo: Matt Vossepoel