CAMROSE, AB (February 8, 2022) – Devin Phillips scored his first career hat trick, all netted in the opening period, and the Brooks Bandits rolled to an 8-1 win over the Camrose Kodiaks on Tuesday at Encana Arena.
Brooks (46-5-1) has won four straight games, and won the season series with Camrose, taking five of six games.
Phillips (Holy Cross) opened the scoring just 35 seconds in, finishing a behind-the-net pass from linemate Ryan McAllister (Western Michigan) to make it 1-0 Brooks. At 1:39, forward Aiden Fink (Wisconsin) drove to the Kodiak net to be denied by a Spencer Welke save, but there to clean up the rebound was Hunter Wallace (RPI) to make it 2-0. Phillips scored again at 3:55, getting a right circle rebound off a Zach Bookman (Merrimack) shot to make it 3-0, chasing Welke out of the net for replacement Logan Wilcott. Bookman registered his 70th assist of the season, and is five away from breaking the AJHL record for most in a season by a defenceman.
At 16:50, Phillips completed the hat trick, taking a right wing dish from defenceman Josh Zinger (Northern Michigan) in the neutral zone and breaking through the Kodiak defence, sliding the puck underneath Wilcott to make it 4-0 Brooks. Camrose got one back, as forward Tio D’adarrio finished off a two-on-one rush at 18:25, beating Bandits goaltender Ethan Barwick on the forehand to make it 4-1. But with 7 seconds left in the period, Bandits forward Noah Hackett (Niagara) one-timed a Nic DeGraves pass from the left circle to make it 5-1. Shots were 11-7 Brooks in the frame.
The Bandits kept the offence going in the 2nd. McAllister took a pass from TJ Hughes (Mercyhurst), both in the same left circle, and tucked it short-side on Welke, who was back in the Kodiak net to make it 6-1. Brendan Maris tipped in a Hackett point shot at 13:10 on the powerplay to make it 7-1, and then Wallace cleaned up a loose puck off another rush to the net by Fink at 17:26 to make it 8-1. Shots were 19-5 Bandits in the period.
The 3rd period was scoreless, with Brooks outshooting Camrose 11-5, final shots were 41-17 Brooks.
The Bandits are back on the road this weekend, stopping in Sherwood Park on Friday (Feb 11) for a 7:15 pm start and then a trip to Lloydminster on Saturday (Feb 12) for a 7:30 pm puck drop. Both games can be heard on Real Country 105.7 FM.