BROOKS, AB (September 28, 2016) – The Brooks Bandits (4-1-1) moved into first place in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) South division on Wednesday night, after a 2-0 home win over the Calgary Canucks (4-2-1).
Bandit goaltender Alex Horawski (Toronto, ON) stopped all 21 shots he faced for the first shutout of his Junior A goaltending career, and his second win.
Both Brooks goals came off of a power play that went 2 for 7 on the night. The first was on Brooks’ first man advantage, at the 2:58 mark of the first period. Josh McKechney (Calgary, AB), who led the Bandits in power play goals last season, ripped a shot from the right-wing circle top shelf and short side on Canuck goaltender Logan Drackett for the eventual game-winning goal.
In the second, a Nick Prkusic (Medicine Hat, AB) power play point shot blast missed the Canuck net, but Ty Mappin (Big Valley, AB) nonetheless managed to force the puck to the side of the net, where Oliver Chau (Oakville, ON) won a puck battle and jammed it past Drackett to double the Bandit lead.
It was Chau’s team-leading fifth goal, and team-leading fourth power play goal as well.
After outshooting the Canucks 27-13 in the first two periods, the third saw a narrower 9-8 shot lead for Brooks. But the Bandits stood tall to preserve Horawski’s shutout, with the highlight of the third coming when Bandit forward Nic Hamre (Ottawa, ON) was jumped by Calgary defenceman Braxton Kane after a whistle, and after taking a couple of blind side punches, got his right hand free and responded in kind before being wrestled down to the ice.
The Bandits next hit the road for the annual AJHL Showcase this weekend, beginning Friday night at 8:00 PM against the Fort McMurray Oil Barons. Pre-game coverage begins at 7:45 PM from the Max McLean Arena in Camrose on Q105.7 FM.