Bandits break 2-2 tie in the 2nd period, skate to third straight win Saturday vs Lloydminster

November 21st, 2021 @ 12:03 am

BROOKS, AB (November 20, 2021) – Brendan Mairs scored a late 2nd period goal to break a 2-2 tie and the Brooks Bandits didn’t surrender the lead, beating the Lloydminster Bobcats 5-2 on Saturday at the Centennial Regional Arena.

Forward TJ Hughes (Mercyhurst) scored twice, including an empty netter, while goaltender Ethan Barwick made 22 saves as the Bandits (23-1-1) have won three straight games and remain in 1st place in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

Highlights

Lloydminster opened the scoring, as forward Tanner Fincaryk found a loose puck off a point shot and scored to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead 5:11 into the game. But Brooks would tie, as forward Ryan McAllister (Western Michigan) wristed a left circle shot on a setup by Hughes at 10:34. Forward Devin Phillips (Holy Cross) created the chance with a pass off the right wall and recorded his 100th career AJHL point with the assist. Shots were 16-13 Brooks in the 1st.

Brooks got their first lead of the night just 1:32 into the 2nd, as defenceman Dominick Campione (Arizona State) tapped in a McAllister pass to the net front to make it 2-1 Bandits. But the Bobcats would tie, as Nik Hoogendoorn cleaned up a loose puck off a Chad MacLean shot to make it 2-2 at 7:00. In the final minute of the period, Bandits defenceman Zach Bookman (Merrimack) skated behind the Bobcat net and found Mairs open in front, who tapped in the 3-2 goal to give Brooks the lead after 40 minutes. Shots were 16-4 Brooks.

The Bandits doubled their lead to 4-2 a the 6:30 mark of the 3rd as Hughes completed a tic-tac-toe play from McAllister and Phillips. Then with 11 seconds left in the game and the Bobcats net empty, Hughes would score again, making it a 5-2 final. Shots in the 3rd were 12-7 Brooks and 44-24 overall.

Postgame comments from Asst. Coach Evan McFeeters

The Bandits head on the road for three straight games starting Tuesday in Calgary against the Canucks. Game time is 7:00 pm at Henry Viney Arena. That’s followed by a North Division road trip that will see the Bandits visit the Grande Prairie Storm on Saturday, November 27th (6:00 pm) and Whitecourt Wolverines on Sunday (November 28th) at 2:30 pm. All games can be heard on Real Country 105.7 FM.

teamInfo Object ( [data] => Array ( [team_id] => 9 [city] => brooks [name] => bandits [division] => s [website] => http://www.brooksbandits.ca/ [dev_url] => [is_active] => 1 [logo] => bandits.png [esports_id] => 562529 [up_esports_id] => 0 [fastHockey_id] => 0 [footer_sponsor_collection_id] => 46 [header_sponsor_collection_id] => 45 [side_sponsor_collection_id] => 108 [spotlight_ad_top_collection_id] => 316 [spotlight_ad_bott_collection_id] => 317 [webtv_title] => 2022-23 Season Tickets [webtv_image] => Home Page.png [webtv_link] => https://tickets.brooksbandits.ca/ [webtv_content] => [webtv_active] => 1 [scoreboard_image] => [team_bg_image] => 2017-04-18 - ajhl champs.jpg [team_bg_full] => 1 [twitter_id] => BrooksBandits [twitter_url] => http://twitter.com/BrooksBandits [facebook_url] => https://www.facebook.com/BrooksBandits [instagram_url] => https://instagram.com/brooks_bandits/ [youtube_url] => https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWLQ8-MZHSg444xg1PdZmyw [analytics_id] => UA-26146535-18 [primary_hex] => #002C61 [secondary_hex] => #002C61 [tertiary_hex] => #221E1F [quaternary_hex] => #E21735 [player_of_the_week] => [player_image] => [player_sponsor] => CCM.jpg [player_sponsor_link] => www.google.com [dplayer_of_the_week] => [dplayer_image] => [dplayer_sponsor] => CCM.jpg [dplayer_sponsor_link] => www.google.com [mplayer_of_the_month] => [mplayer_image] => [mplayer_sponsor] => CCM.jpg [mplayer_sponsor_link] => www.google.com ) )