SANDRA M STANWAY
Brooks Bulletin
The Brooks Bandits went 1-1 over the weekend defeating the Vernon Vipers, 7-3, in Brooks but were defeated by the Sherwood Park Crusaders, 5-3, in Sherwood.
Both games were penalty-filled with multiple powerplay goals.
On Friday three goals by the Vipers and five goals by the Bandits were on powerplays.
During the second period the penalty box door was opened and closed so often that the frame went on close to 40 minutes.
Despite the penalties, the Bandits were able to earn their third consecutive win and hand BCHL rookie goalie Zach Zahara his first win in his first game.
The 19-year-old from Rocky View arrived in Brooks last Tuesday and signed with the Bandits on Wednesday. He had been playing in the Western Hockey League with the Medicine Hat Tigers.
Bandits Michal Kiščinský opened the scoring at just under one minute of play with a powerplay goal. It was followed by a powerplay goal from Vernon’s Luke Bibby, a former Bandit.
Bibby followed that goal with another PP goal of the game in the second period which gave Vernon a 2-1 lead.
Bandits Nick Peluso scored on the powerplay at 5:08 which was followed by a regular strength insurance goal at 6:05 by Jace Letourneau.
About four minutes later Vernon’s Kyren Gronick got his own powerplay goal and the game was tied at three.
Although the next goal, scored on another powerplay by Bandits Ethan Beyer was technically 46-seconds after Gronick’s goal, it was scored during a series of penalties in a 40 minute period.
In the final period Beyer and Letourneau each had their second PP goal while Davide Patella got one at even strength.
With the Jan. 10 trade date now passed, teams including the Vipers and Bandits will settle in for the remainder of the season.
Vipers head coach Lukas Lomicky said he is pleased with his four additions.
“We have added size, experience and players with tremendous upside,” he said.
One of their new players is 2007-born Jackson DeGraves, brother of former Bandit Nicholas.
With a couple of wins to their credit the Bandits faced one of their toughest rivals on Saturday – Sherwood Park Crusaders and for the third time in the fifth meeting, the Bandits were defeated. Saturday’s score was 5-3 Crusaders.
The game opened quickly with penalties, goals and hits.
The opening goal was netted at 72 seconds by Crusader’s Malachi McKinnon.
Bandits Caden Drury tied the game at 1:38 which was followed by McKinnon’s powerplay goal at 3:19 and then two Bandits goals, one from AJ Lacroix at 7:07 and a shorthanded goal by Davide Patella at 8:20.
In the first period Patella had a big hit on a Crusader and he was sent to the box but it overturned. Following his goal he was called for crosschecking and was ejected from the game which allowed Crusaders Matthew Frost to score a powerplay goal and tie the period at three.
The second period saw a couple of minor penalties on both sides including unsportsmanlike behaviour and a powerplay goal by Sherwood Park to break the tie and take the lead and they had their final goal in the third period.
Bandits will return to the ice after the All-Star break on Jan. 24 to host the first place Penticton Vees.
As of Sunday, the Bandits are trailing the Vees by four points. The Vees are 26-6-2-0 while the Bandits are 24-6-0-2.
