WHITECOURT, AB (November 5, 2022) – Caelan Fitzpatrick scored a hat trick as the Brooks Bandits won their seventh straight game, downing the Wolverines 7-2 on Saturday at the Scott Safety Centre, wrapping up a weekend sweep of North Division teams.
Coming off a 5-0 win on Friday in Grande Prairie, Brooks scored five goals in the 2nd period on Saturday, with Hunter Wallace, Heath Armstrong and Aiden Celebrini joining Fitzpatrick as the goal scorers. Ethan Barwick (Lindenwood) made 26 saves as the Bandits (19-1-2) haven’t lost in regulation in 17 straight games, and have won five consecutive on the road.
Forward Hunter Wallace (RPI) scored just 1:25 into the game on the powerplay, cleaning up a rebound off an Aiden Fink shot to make it 1-0 Brooks.
Whitecourt tied the game 1-1 at 2:37 of the 2nd period, as Jarred Feist tipped a point shot. But the Bandits retook the lead at 3:03, as Fitzpatrick (Niagara) one-timed a Heath Armstrong pass on an odd-man rush to make it 2-1 Brooks. Rookie defenceman Aiden Celebrini (Boston University) skated around a defender in the offensive zone and sniped a right circle shot at 5:00 to increase the lead to 3-1. Soon after at 6:23, captain Dario Beljo (AIC) redirected a Brendan Poshak (Northern Michigan) pass to the net front to make it 4-1, Beljo’s fourth goal of the trip. Brooks kept it coming at 7:28, as Armstrong tipped a Celebrini shot to make it 5-1, Armstrong’s sixth goal of the season. With 15 seconds left in the period, Fitzpatrick scored top shelf to make it 6-1.
The Wolverines got one back at 3:11 of the 3rd period on a slap shot from Caleb MacDonald to cut the lead to 6-2. Fitzpatrick completed the hat trick at 5:35, burning past the Wolverines defence and backhanding his third of the night. Final shots were 38-28 Brooks.
The Bandits next game is Friday, November 11 when they face the Kodiaks in Camrose. Game time is 3:00 pm.