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NAHL Austin Bruins

Blizzard Saved by Rookie Goalie

February 13, 2015 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Austin Bruins News Release


Eight of the Austin Bruins (26-10-11) last 14 games are against the Brookings Blizzard (16-20-8) leading up to the playoffs. While the Bruins will be in the playoffs again, the Blizzard are fighting for their playoff lives, trailing Aberdeen by four points in the standings.

Friday, while outplayed, Brookings rode hot goaltending and a fast start to a 4-1 win at the Larson Ice Center to open a home-and-home weekend series.

Austin outshot Brookings 5-1 in the first four minutes of the game, but Blizzard goaltender Ryan Kubic (St. Andrews, MB) was up to task. Brookings scored its first of three first period goals with a little puck luck, as a TJ Samec (St. Paul, MN) dump-in ricocheted off the back wall and back off of Evan Smith s (Parker, CO) pad and in.

Connor Spetz (St. Michael, MN) blasted his first career goal off of a skate in front on the power play to give the Blizzard a 2-0 lead, and Garrett Elmore (Brentwood, TN) snuck a shot under Smith s arm to complete the first period scoring. Brookings was outshot 11-8 in the period, but led 3-0. The Bruins replaced Smith with Jake Kielly (Eden Prairie, MN) after the third goal with 7:20 left in the period, and Kielly played the rest of the game.

The Bruins controlled the play for much of the second period, but were turned away time and time again by Kubic. Finally, Alex Jasiek (St. Louis, MO) buried a rebound to get the Bruins on the board at 11:10 of the frame. The momentum shifted into Austin s grasp as the period went along, but an offensive zone faceoff win in the final minute led to Spetz blasting a one-timer by Kielly to open the Brookings lead up to three at the second break.

Again Austin outplayed Brookings in the third, but the hill was too steep and the Blizzard cruised to victory. The 17-year-old Kubic stopped 37 of 38 shots in the win. Kielly made 17 saves in relief.

The weekend series moves to Austin Saturday for a 7:05pm scheduled start at Riverside Arena. It s Ladies Night at Riverside Arena for the Valentine s Day game, and tickets can be purchased at several area locations as well as the Bruins box office. The game will also be shown on fasthockey.com.

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