Brooks, AB (December 20, 2019) – The Brooks Bandits (34-1-1) remain perfect at home this season thanks to a 5-2 victory on Friday night over the Grande Prairie Storm. Their winning streak has improved to 10 games, and 16-0 at home this year.
Goaltender Pierce Charleson (Aurora, ON) made 14 saves for his league-leading 28th win of the season. Forward Randy Hernández (Miami, FL) scored twice, including the eventual game winner in the dying seconds of the second period.
The Storm got on the board first. Forward Nathan Morgan tapped in a Brett Meerman pass 5:19 into the game to give the visitors the early lead. The Bandits responded later in the period, as Hernández shot the puck from the slot that handcuffed Storm netminder Lars Kaliel and slithered into the net to it up 1-1 at 14:15.
Brooks dominated the second period, outshooting the Storm 21-4 and taking the lead. Forward Brayden Krieger (Elora, ON) tapped in a Hernández pass at 4:43 to make it 2-1. Then, in the final seconds, captain Jakob Lee (Owen Sound, ON) flipped the pack in the air down the ice and Hernández caught up to it and knocked it into the net to make it 3-1.
The Bandits made it 4-1 at the 10:11 mark of the third period thanks to a powerplay goal from defenceman Tim Rego (Mansfield, MA), who finished off a Lee shot that rebounding off Kaliel. However, Grande Prairie made it interesting thanks to a 5 on 3 powerplay, which they converted on at the 16:19 mark to make it 4-2.
Facing a 6 on 4 penalty kill, the Bandits got a big goal from forward Devin Phillips (Raleigh, NC), who shot into an empty net from the opposite end to give Brooks the 5-2 win.
The Bandits final home game of 2019 goes Saturday, December 21st at the Centennial Regional Arena. Game time is 7:00 PM and is College Night presented by Bud Light. Show a current post-secondary student card and receive 50% off a ticket.
Buy ahead by visiting tickets.brooksbandits.ca.