By Tyler King - Brooks Bandits

Bandits clinch South with 22nd straight win, 4-2 in Drumheller

Feb 3, 2019 | 11:26 AM

DRUMHELLER, AB – The Brooks Bandits (46-3) extended their franchise record winning streak to 22 games, and clinched first overall in the AJHL South division, with a 4-2 win in Drumheller on Saturday night.

With the win, the Bandits will receive a first round bye in the 2019 playoffs, with their postseason set to begin in the AJHL South Semifinal, tentatively scheduled to begin March 15th.

The Bandits outshot Drumheller 39-25 in the game, with goalie Pierce Charleson (Aurora, ON) making 23 saves for the win while Hunter Virostek of Drumheller stopped 35 of 38.

Andrew Lucas (Alexandria, VA) opened the scoring on Brooks’ first power play at 11:50 when he fired a wrist shot in from the right hash marks. On the Bandits’ second man advantage, Ray Christy (St. Paul, MN) found the back of the net on a wrist shot from the high slot to make it 2-0.

In the second, a breakaway goal from Brett Edwards got the Dragons on the board, but the Bandits reclaimed a two-goal lead at 10:22 when Simon Boyko (Mississauga, ON) centred a puck from the end wall to Ethan Lund (Calgary, AB) at the high slot, as the Bandit rookie’s one-timer snuck by Virostek and in for the eventual game-winning goal.

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In the third, Bradley Stonnell scored off the rush on a power play at 10:42 to make it a one goal game, but as the Dragons pulled their goalie with just over two minutes left, Nathan Plessis (Salmon Arm, B.C.) busted by two defenders into the offensive zone and scored into the empty net with 1:34 left to notch the final score.

The Bandits went 2 for 4 on the power play and 3 for 4 on the penalty kill, and will next take on the Okotoks Oilers on the road Tuesday night to attempt to extend the win streak to 23.