BROOKS, AB (October 5, 2016) – Despite a whopping 47-14 shot advantage, the Brooks Bandits (5-2-2) needed overtime to secure a much-needed two-point performance at home against the Olds Grizzlys (3-3-2) on Wednesday night.
The Bandits never trailed in the game, but a late tying goal by Olds forced the extra frame and allowed the Grizzlys to extend their streak without a regulation loss to three games.
Brooks opened the scoring at the 12:50 mark of the 1st period when rookie defenceman Devon Daniels (Thunder Bay, ON) blasted a point shot from the blue line past Olds goalie Ben Giesbrecht for his first Junior A goal.
The Grizzlys responded early in the second, though, when Riley Smith swatted home a rebound goal at the 1:43 mark on the power play to make it 1-1. The Bandits outshot the Grizzlys 31-11 through the first two periods, yet headed into the third deadlocked.
That deadlock was broken 8:37 into the frame when Ocean Wiesblatt (Calgary, AB) fed a cross-ice pass to Ty Mappin (Big Valley, AB), whose one-timer whizzed past Giesbrecht and into the Grizzly net to give Brooks a 2-1 lead.
That appeared likely to be the final score, but the Grizzlys knotted it up with just 1:37 left in regulation, when Ryley Smith took the puck away behind the Bandit net, and beat goalie Alex Horawski (Toronto, ON) on a wraparound to send the game to overtime.
But an overtime holding penalty to Chase Olsen put Brooks on the power play and led to the game-winner, as captain Nick Prkusic (Medicine Hat, AB) fired a quick shot from the right circle that hit the left post behind Giesbrecht and slid into the net to give the Bandits the thrilling overtime win.
The Bandits next hit the road to take on the South division-leading Okotoks Oilers on Saturday, against whom Brooks is 0-1-1 so far this season. Puck drop is at 7:00 PM with pre-game coverage beginning at 6:45 PM on Q105.7.