BROOKS, AB (November 6, 2019) ? The Brooks Bandits (21-0) became the first team in the more than half-century of Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) play to win their first 21 games of the season, downing the visiting Camrose Kodiaks 8-3 at the Centennial Regional Arena on Wednesday evening.
With the win, the team breaks the record previously held by the 2012-13 Bandits, who went 20-0.
Team captain Jake Lee (Owen Sound, ON) led the way with seven points on the night, the most for a player in a single game in franchise history and the fifth-most in a single game in league history.
Tim Rego (Mansfield, MA) opened the scoring with a power play net front tip set up by Randy Hernandez (Miami, FL) at 3:28, and Brayden Krieger (Elora, ON) doubled the lead at 9:24 on a sharp angle shot from the right side of the Camrose net. Trey Thomas (Williams Lake, BC) one-timed in a power play goal from the right circle at 14:00, and Lee got his first of the game on a Krieger backdoor setup at 19:09 to give the Bandits a 4-0 cushion after one.
In the second, Lee tapped in an Ethan Lund (Calgary, AB) backdoor feed at 6:16, but Cam McAdam responded for the Kodiaks with a wrist shot goal off the rush. Lee then finished a shorthanded two-on-one setup from Taylor Makar (Calgary, AB) at 17:48 to make it 6-1 with his hat trick goal, before a point shot by Blake Kondor deflected in for Camrose at 18:48 on the power play to cut the deficit to 6-2.
In the third, Lee set up Rego for his second of the game from the slot at 2:48 on the man advantage, and Lee notched his fourth of the game with a power play marker at 4:08 to cap off the home side scoring. Erik Boers scored shorthanded at 17:43, but it was as close as the Kodiaks would get, as the Bandits took the game 8-3 and celebrated the record-setting win.
Pierce Charleson (Aurora, ON) stopped 28 of 31 shots for the win while Griffin Bowerman stopped 28 of 36 for Camrose. The Bandits went 4 for 5 on the penalty kill and 5 for 15 on the power play.
Brooks will next go for its 22nd straight win when they travel to Drayton Valley on Friday night, with puck drop set for 7 PM against the Thunder. Pre-game coverage starts at 6:45 PM on Real Country 105.7.