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

Fink scores seven points, Bandits down Dragons 8-5 for fifth straight pre-season win

BROOKS, AB (September 7, 2022) – Aiden Fink had a seven point game, and the Brooks Bandits scored five goals on the powerplay, winning their 5th straight game 8-5 over the Drumheller Dragons in Pre-season action Wednesday night at the Centennial Regional Arena.

Bandits goaltender Wilson Maxfield made 33 saves in his second straight start, as the Bandits improved to 5-0 in the 2022 Pre-Season.

Just 40 seconds in, Bandits defenceman Aiden Celebrini (Boston University) sniped the top left corner on a corner feed from Fink to make it 1-0 Brooks. But at 8:02, Drumheller tied the game 1-1 on the powerplay, as forward Adam Raesler cleaned up on a net front scramble. Afterwards, the Bandits killed off a penalty and were rewarded on the powerplay, as Fink scored on a forehand shot from the slot to make it 2-1 Brooks. Shots in the 1st were 17-9 Dragons.

The Bandits powerplay scored again at 2:13 of the 2nd period, as forward Hunter Wallace (RPI) one-timed a Fink pass to increase the Brooks lead to 3-1. But the Dragons got two back, with goals from forward Hayden Prosofsky at 8:24 and Kai Matthew on a forehand shot from the left circle at 9:20 to make it a 3-3 game. Seconds after Matthew scored however, Fink finished off an odd-man rush with Wallace to reclaim a 4-3 Bandits lead. Shots in the 2nd were 12-10 Brooks.

The Bandits capitalized just 22 seconds into the 3rd period, with forward Dario Beljo (AIC) one-timing a Fink pass to make it 5-3. But 28 seconds later, Prosofsky scored again, on a backhand shot to cut the lead to 5-4. Wallace give Brooks a 6-4 lead at 5:50 on another one-timer on the powerplay. Drumheller got one back at 13:07 as forward Will Christian scored from the right circle to make it 6-5 Brooks. But the Bandits pulled away, as Beljo backhanded his second of the night at 14:51 on the powerplay, and forward Luke Biddy finished the game off with 14 seconds remaining with an empty net goal to make it 8-5, the final. Shots in the 3rd were 13-11 Brooks, and 38-34 Dragons overall.

The Bandits continue their Pre-season on Friday, September 9, when they travel to Okotoks to face the Oilers. Game time is 7:00 pm, and can be watched on HockeyTV or listened to on the Bandits Mixlr channel for free.

Brooks concludes their Pre-season on Saturday, September 10, when they host the Cranbrook Bucks of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Game time is 7:00 pm at the CRA.

Photo credit: Matt Vossepoel