BROOKS, AB (February 13, 2018) – The Brooks Bandits (39-12-1) scored a season-high eleven goals, and captain Dennis Cesana (Providence, RI) set a new team record for assists by a defenceman in a single season, with an 11-1 win over the Calgary Canucks on Tuesday night in front of 1,294 fans at the Centennial Regional Arena.
The Bandits outshot Calgary 21-3 in the first period, and 49-13 overall, scoring 4 times in the first, 4 times in the second, and 3 more times in the third, while goaltender Mitch Benson (Windsor, ON) made 12 saves for his league-leading 38th win of the season.
In the first period, Cesana opened the scoring on a 3-on-2 rush on a setup from rookie forward Louis Jamernik (Calgary, AB), who would end up with a 3-point night. Jamernik tipped home a Shane Bear (Calgary, AB) point shot at 9:31 for the game-winning goal, while Luke Bast (Red Deer, AB) backhanded home a setup in the slot from Nathan Plessis (Salmon Arm, B.C.) at 12:04. Just over a minute later, Ryan Mahshie (Stoney Creek, ON) one-timed a goal home from the left circle to make it 4-0.
In the second, Matt Cassidy (Medford, NJ) one-timed in a shot from the slot off a setup by P.A. Martineau (Sherbrooke, PQ) at 2:20 to make it 5-0, and Cesana’s second assist on the play was his 52nd of the season, eclipsing the prior team record of 51 set by Cale Makar last season.
Bast then notched his second of the game on a shot from the right circle at 8:42, before Conner Jean (Oakland, MI) scored back-to-back goals, the first a sharp-angle backhander from the side of the net at 10:19 and the second a backdoor tap-in at 14:42.
Beginning the third on the power play, the Bandits converted for their first special teams goal of the night just 45 seconds in when Arnaud Vachon (Ajax, ON) jammed in a backdoor feed. On the ensuing shift, Calgary got on the board when Tyler Petrie wristed one home off a net front scramble. But eight seconds later, Cesana fed a stretch pass to Jean who scored on a breakaway for his third hat trick of the season and a 10-1 Bandit lead. Jakob LaPointe (Leduc, AB) capped off the scoring with a power play rebound goal at 14:27 to make it 11-1.
Bandit alternate captain Nic Hamre (Ottawa, ON) dropped the gloves with Calgary captain Kyler Newman late in the game, with a flurry of punches from both participants, as Hamre was ejected finishing just a goal short of the Gordie Howe hat trick.
The Bandits will head on the road this weekend to take on the Grande Prairie Storm on Friday night and the Whitecourt Wolverines on Saturday night, with pre-game coverage starting at 7:15 PM both nights on Real Country 105.7.