The Brooks Bandits wore their alternate uniforms for the first time this season, while Johnny Hicks’ 20 save performance powered the team to a 2-0 win over the Okotoks Oilers on Friday at the Centennial Regional Arena.
Hicks held the fort in the 1st period as the Bandits were outshot 10-6, eventually leading to his fourth shutout of the year. The Bandits have won five straight games and improved to 15-1 on the season.
In the second period, chances came both ways as defenceman Matej Teply shot one off the crossbar halfway through the period. A few moments later on the ensuing Bandits 5-on-3 powerplay, forward Nathan Free received the pass in the high slot from forward Nick Peluso and fired a wrister low glove side to put the Bandits ahead by a score of 1-0.
At the start of the third period, defenceman Keith McInnis picked up the drop pass from defenceman Mathieu Taillefer to fire a top corner wrist shot on the short side of goaltender Simon Westling to double the Bandits lead. Despite Okotoks pulling Westling for the extra attacker, the Oilers were unable to get on the board.
On Saturday the Bandits headed to Spruce Grove where they defeated the Saints 7-3.
Teo Pasano opened the scoring for the Saints in the first at the 2:12 mark with Peters and Lang on the assists.
The Bandits took over from there, scoring three goals by Nick Peluso at 3:35 (Free, Berger), Michal Liscinsky at 4:11(Lutic) and Mathieu Taillefer at 5:13 (Free, Teply) The Saints’ Adam Lang scored their second goal at 6:22 (Johnstone, Leckelt).
The second saw the Bandits pull away with two goals, the first by Davide Patella at 11:00 (Fitzpatrick, McCall) and the second by Keith McInnis at 19:40 (McCall, Lalonde).
The third was more of the same with goals by Parker Lalonde at 6:57 (Siciliano, Peluso) and Nathan Free at 17:18 (unassisted).
Alexy Lachaine scored for the Saints at 17:52 (Johnstone)
Brooks goalie Mikus Vecvanags turned away 35 of 38 shots and was named the second star of the game. Nick Peluso was the first star and Nathan Free was the third star.
The Bandits remain in first place in the Interior Conference of the BCHL with 16 wins and one loss for 32 points. Penticton is in second spot with 12 wins and five losses.
In the Coastal Conference, Chilliwack leads with 13 wins and three losses for 28 points with Coquitlam in second spot with 11 wins and five losses.
The next action for the Bandits is this Saturday,November 16 against the Cranbrook Bucks at Centennial Regional Arena. Game time is 7 p.m.
