BROOKS, AB (February 18, 2022) – TJ Hughes became the first player in the AJHL to score 60 goals in over 20 years, and the Brooks Bandits hammered the Okotoks Oilers 13-0 on Friday at the Centennial Regional Arena for the team’s 26th straight home win.
It was the Bandits (49-5-2) second largest win of the season, and third straight. Goaltender Ethan Barwick made 16 saves for his fourth shutout of the season.
Brooks opened the scoring 3:31 into the game as forward Ryan McAllister (Western Michigan) scored on a forehand shot from the left-wing half wall to make it 1-0. Bandits forward Devin Phillips (Holy Cross) cleared a loose puck off a Wes Turner (Holy Cross) point shot and stuffed it in to make it 2-0 at 12:23. Shots were 12-4 Brooks.
Hughes one-timed a Dario Beljo pass at 3:43 of the 2nd period to make it 3-0. Then at 6:02, McAllister one-timed an Aiden Fink (Wisconsin) pass to make it 4-0. Brooks went on the powerplay at 12:15, and Hughes scored his second, finishing off a Beljo pass to increase the lead to 5-0. Beljo one-timed a Brendan Mairs pass at 12:53 to give the Bandits a 6-0 lead. Oilers starter Jack McNaughton was pulled from the game for Parker Sawka. Beljo scored again at 14:31 on the powerplay as he knocked in a rebound off a McAllister blue line shot to make it 7-0 Brooks. Then at 17:03 on the powerplay, Hughes one-timed a Phillips pass to complete his 6th hat trick of the season and his 60th goal. He’s the first AJHL player to score 60 in a season since the 2000-01 season, and the first Bandit to do so. It was 8-0 Brooks after 40 minutes. Shots were 20-4 Brooks.
Forward Nic DeGraves needed just 37 seconds of the 3rd period to make it 9-0, deking out Sawka on the forehand. Noah Hackett (Niagara) tapped in an Aiden Fink net front pass to make it 10-0 at 8:24. Turner got a rebound off the end boards on a Dominick Campione (Arizona State) slapshot and scored to make it 11-0 at 12:24. Defenceman Josh Zinger (Northern Michigan) tucked in a five-hole goal at 12:44 to make it 12-0, followed by an Ethan Lund (Niagara) goal at 17:45 as he waited out Sawka and tucked in the 13-0 goal. 3rd period shots were 13-8 Brooks and 45-16 overall.
The Tic-Tac-Toe line joins @nathandcrosby to recap the 13-0 win over Okotoks!
Devin Phillips, Ryan McAllister and TJ Hughes!https://t.co/zWTRy3bZe4@TheAJHL
– Brooks Bandits (@BrooksBandits) February 19, 2022
The rematch goes Saturday (Feb 19) in Okotoks, game time is 7:00 pm and can be heard on Real Country 105.7 FM.
The Bandits next home game is Monday (Feb 21) as they host the Canmore Eagles for the Annual Family Day Game at 4:00 pm. Fans age 17 and under get in for free, and there’s a skate with the Bandits following the game.