CALGARY, AB (MAR 21, 2021) – The Brooks Bandits are 5-0 to start the regular season thanks to a 20 save performance from Ethan Barwick in a 4-2 victory over the Canucks Sunday night at Ken Bracko Arena at the Max Bell Centre in Calgary.
Barwick (St. Albert, AB) has wins in his last two starts, while forward Sean Chisholm (Halifax, NS) had a pair of goals and leads the team in scoring with 10 points through 5 games. The Bandits are 3-0 since the AJHL’s Return to Play on March 12th. They were supposed to the host the Okotoks Oilers on Saturday night, but the game was cancelled as a precautionary measure in the AJHL’s Return to Play protocol.
Honda Magic Coach’s Recap with Asst. Coach Taylor Makin and team broadcaster Nathan Crosby:
Brooks scored just 51 seconds into the game, as forward TJ Hughes (Hamilton, ON) took a pass from Owen Cole that led to Hughes all alone with the Canucks goaltender Adam Dmyterko, and Hughes capitalized for this 3rd of the year to make it 1-0 Brooks. But the Canucks would tie the game on a Damon Byers tipped point shot later on at the 10:22 mark to make it 1-1. Final shots in the 1st were 13-8 Brooks.
Another quick start in the 2nd Period for Brooks, as Chisholm blasted a one-timer set up by Taylor Makar (Calgary, AB) from behind the net to make it 2-1 40 seconds into the frame. Chisholm got another at the 9:55 mark, finishing off a 2 on 1 shorthanded saucer pass from forward Devin Phillips (Raleigh, NC) to make ti 3-1. 14 seconds later, Makar came out of the penalty box and scored a backhander on a breakaway to make it 4-1. Shots were 11-8 Bandits.
The Canucks got a goal back 2:26 into the 3rd period, as Matt Corbet scored from the right circle, but a late high sticking penalty kept Calgary from pulling their goalie, and that’s as close as they would get. Final shots were 37-22 Bandits.
The Bandits are scheduled to host the Canucks on Sat, March 27th at the Centennial Regional Arena at 7:00 PM. Live coverage on Real Country 105.7 FM and Hockeytv.com.
Photo: Bryan Wilson