VIDEO: Bandits weather wild first period, pleased with first win at nationals
BROOKS, AB – Brooks Bandits head coach Ryan Papaioannou put it best on Saturday night, calling his team’s 7-3 victory over the Oakville Blades a “beautiful disaster.”
After allowing a goal just 11 seconds into the opener of the National Junior ‘A’ Championship, the Bandits exchanged goals with Oakville to pull ahead by a 5-2 score after just the opening 20 minutes.
Brooks relied on its depth on the back end in the win, with four of their seven goals coming from defencemen, including a pair from veteran Luke Bast.
It was a key victory for the host Bandits, as they have now put themselves in a good position to earn one of the four playoff spots up for grabs with a 1-0 record to begin the tournament.