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Christy records 5 points as Bandits down Drayton Valley 6-3 on School Day

Nov 22, 2018 | 9:14 AM

BROOKS, AB — The Brooks Bandits (22-2) hosted one of their earliest games in franchise history, with more than 1,000 school kids packing the Centennial Regional Arena for a noon start time on Wednesday afternoon, cheering their team on to a 6-3 win over the visiting Drayton Valley Thunder.

The Bandits’ orchestrated the game in a partnership with the local public and Catholic school boards, with the game featuring a mental health awareness theme with intermission presentations for the students in attendance.

The win extended the Bandits’ lead over Sherwood Park for first overall in the AJHL to 4 points, with a game in hand.

Ray Christy led the way with five points, including the opening goal when he blasted a point shot through a screen and past Thunder goalie Luke Lush to make it 1-0 Brooks on the Bandits’ first power play of the game.

Tanner Hopps tied the game for DV on their first power play, scoring on a net front scramble off the faceoff, and Ben Stollery gave the Thunder its first lead of the game on a power play wrister from the right circle that floated over the shoulder of Brooks goalie Pierce Charleson (Aurora, ON).

But the Bandits tied it when Andrew Lucas fired a shot through a screen home late in the 1st, and Brooks took a lead into the first intermission courtesy of a Luke Bast point shot.

Brooks dominated the second period, extended the lead with three goals. Arnaud Vachon had two goals, both backhanders off the rush, bookending a Jordan Di Cicco net front rebound backhander. The two goals from Vachon put him into a tie for the league lead in goals with 18 on the year.

Drayton Valley cut the deficit in the 3rd when Ty Whitford fired home a puck from the front of the net, but it would be as close as the Thunder would get. Brooks outshot the Thunder 36-23, with Charleson earning his league-leading 19th win of the year stopping 20 shots.

The Bandits hit the road this weekend for games in Lloydminster on Friday and a showdown between the top two teams in the AJHL on Saturday in Sherwood Park.