DRAYTON VALLEY, AB (November 19, 2023) – The Brooks Bandits remain undefeated in November following a 10-3 win over the Drayton Valley Thunder on Sunday at the Omniplex that saw a team record set.
Nic DeGraves and Logan Sawyer scored five seconds apart, which is a new Bandits record, and tied the AJHL record for fastest two goals, which last happened in 1998.
The Bandits (23-3) have won eight straight games, and four straight on the road. Goaltender Brendan Holahan (New Canaan, CT) made 28 saves in the win, while the Bandits reached a new high for most goals in a game this season (10), and shots (54).
Forward Ty Mason (Weyburn, SK) tipped a Logan Sawyer (Calgary, AB) pass at 5:28 to give Brooks the 1-0 lead. Sawyer doubled the lead at 11:38, taking a Quinn McCall (St. John, IN) pass and scoring shortside to make it 2-0. Captain Nic DeGraves (Edmonton, AB) scored top shelf, off the rush, at 15:58 to make it 3-0 Bandits. Just five seconds later, off the centre ice faceoff, Sawyer intercepted a puck and scored on a breakaway to make it 4-0, the two fastest goals in team history. However, after McCall was assessed a Checking from Behind penalty and Ethan Beyer tripping penalty, the Thunder would get back-to-back powerplay goals from Ty Gordon and Adam Grenier to cut the lead to 4-2.
Thunder forward Ben Winkelmann scored off the rush at 2:16 of the 2nd period to cut the Bandits lead to 4-3. But it was all Brooks after that.
Caelan Fitzpatrick (Moose Jaw, SK) fired in a shot that popped Thunder goaltender Cameron Doucette’s water bottle at 6:51 to give Brooks the 5-3 lead. Not long after at 9:56, forward Parker Lalonde (Aberdeen, SK) tapped in a corner pass from Buttazzoni to make it 6-3. Then at 14:09, Buttazzoni scored his first of the night to make it 7-3.
Just 13 seconds into the 3rd, DeGraves was fed a Sawyer pass resulting from a Thunder turnover, and scored to make it 8-3. Lalonde added a shorthanded goal at 10:22, followed by a wraparound goal from Danylo Korzhyletskyi (Kyiv, UA) at 13:58 to seal the 10-3 win.
Game Notes:
- DeGraves and Sawyer scored the two fastest goals in team history. The AJHL record Is five seconds, which has been done four times.
- Sawyer finished the game with five points, a career high.
- Buttazzoni is on a four-game streak of scoring two or more points. He has 12 points in his last four games, and 16 points so far in November.
- Holahan remains perfect as a Bandits starter with a 9-0 record.
- The Bandits reached 10 goals for the first time this season.
- 54 shots was the most by the Bandits in a game this year.
The Bandits are home for two games next weekend, hosting the Lloydminster Bobcats on Friday, November 24th and Bonnyville Pontiacs on Saturday, November 25th at the Centennial Regional Arena. Both games are at 7:00 pm.