Bandits run win streak to 14 games with 6-3 win in Camrose

CAMROSE, AB – Tim Rego (Mansfield, MA) and Brayden Krieger (Elora, ON) both had two-goal nights, as the Brooks Bandits (14-0) stayed perfect Saturday night, downing the host Camrose Kodiaks 6-3.

With the win, the Bandits remain the only team in the Canadian Junior Hockey League without a single loss.

Chris Pappas (Toronto, ON) opened the scoring 6:30 into the game on a net-front one timer set up by rookie forward Devin Phillips (Raleigh, NC). But despite a 19-8 shot advantage for Brooks in the first, they entered the first intermission leading only by one.

They added two more in the second, after a spirited fight by Mason Reeves (Toronto, ON) and Brennan Davis of Camrose; the first a Krieger shot from the slot at 12:42 set up by Randy Hernandez (Miami, FL), and the second a Rego wrister at 17:44 set up off the rush again by Hernandez.

But despite the 3-0 lead and a 35-14 shot advantage through two, the Kodiaks again battled back to make the game interesting in the third, outshooting the Bandits 12-11.

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First, Carson Kurylo scored on a screened shot from the right circle at 5:14. But Krieger responded for Brooks on the power play, jamming one home from the slot again at 6:50 to reclaim the three-goal advantage.

Camrose replied on their own power play at 11:05 when Griffen Fraser tapped in a rebound, and then Erik Miller scored off the rush on a backhander at 13:20 to bring the Kodiaks to within one.

But with just over four minutes left, Bandit defenceman Phip Waugh (McLean, VA) was high-sticked by Miller, sending Brooks to a power play on which captain Jake Lee (Owen Sound, ON) scored from the slot to make it 5-3 Bandits, on a play set up again by Hernandez who finished the game with three helpers.

But the Kodiaks pressed with a late double minor penalty after Pappas was called for high sticking with 3:15 left in the game. But the Bandits and goaltender Pierce Charleson (Aurora, ON) held strong, and iced the game with 55 seconds left when Rego won a puck battle at the net front and fired the puck all the way down into the empty Kodiak net.

The Bandits outshot the Kodiaks 46-26 overall in the game, going 2 for 5 on the power play and 6 for 7 on the penalty kill.

They’ll next travel to Okotoks for their first meeting of the season with their heated divisional rivals the Oilers, with puck drop scheduled for Tuesday night at 7:00. Pre-game coverage starts at 6:45 on Real Country 105.7.