CALGARY, AB (November 17, 2015) – Shane Bear (Calgary, AB) led the way with a goal and an assist, while Hayden Ursulak (Calgary, AB) had the game-winning goal, as the Brooks Bandits (16-4-2) outshot the Calgary Mustangs (4-19-2) 42-7 in a 4-1 win at the Father David Bauer Arena on Tuesday night.
With the win, the Bandits leapfrogged the Camrose Kodiaks to move into first place in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) South division, one point ahead of Camrose with a game in hand.
“I think we were very average on the whole,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Ryan Papaioannou. “Our puck movement was sloppy; it was an ugly game, I think our guys would agree. We just didn’t have ‘it’.”
Defenceman Jesse Baird (Brampton, ON) opened the scoring just 2:06 into a first period in which the Bandits dominated the shot count 22-2. The third-year Bandit’s wrist shot from the right-wing faceoff circle beat goaltender Ryan Ternes for the opening goal, and that lead was doubled at the 16:07 mark when Hayden Ursulak collected the rebound of a Shane Bear point shot that had missed the net, and jammed it past Ternes. Bandit newcomer Rhett Kingston (Black Diamond, AB) set up Bear’s point shot to earn his first assist in a Brooks uniform.
In the third, Bear extended the Brooks lead with a power play goal at the 11:02 mark on a point shot. But the middle frame was Calgary’s best, as they were only outshot 6-4 and got a goal of their own with 5:06 to go in the period when Jared Virtanen tapped home a one timer on a 2-on-1 pass to cut the deficit back to 2.
It was as close as the Mustangs would get, however, as a second power play goal by the Bandits, this time a Joe O’Connor (Hamden, CT) slap shot that was credited on a tip to Josh McKechney (Calgary, AB), reclaimed a three-goal lead and the 4-1 final score.
The Bandits went 2 for 8 on the power play and a perfect 3 for 3 on the penalty kill.
The rematch of the game will go at the Centennial Regional Arena in Brooks on Friday night at 7:00 PM when the Mustangs come to Brooks for the second time this season. Tickets are on sale at http://tickets.brooksbandits.ca, by phone at (403) 501-0122, or in person at the CRA.