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NAHL North Iowa Bulls

Bulls Pick up Split of Weekend Series, Beat Bruins 4-2 Saturday

October 3, 2021 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
North Iowa Bulls News Release


North Iowa Bulls forward Hunter Bulger catches his breath between plays
North Iowa Bulls forward Hunter Bulger catches his breath between plays
(North Iowa Bulls, Credit: North Iowa Bulls/Denise Williams)

AUSTIN, Minn. - At just 48 miles from door to door, the bus trip to Riverside Arena is a mere commute for the North Iowa Bulls.

Not that they and the Austin Bruins need the help to heat up their new North American Hockey League rivalry, mind you. That took care of itself in the teams' first two meetings Friday and Saturday night. After dropping a 4-3 shootout loss to the Bruins on Friday, North Iowa grabbed the lead early in Saturday's get-together in "Spam Town" and carried a 4-2 win home with them, as well as a share of the early Central Division race.

After trading goals all night against the Bruins in Mason City on Friday, North Iowa struck first, nabbing the game's opening goal just 3:09 into the contest off of a turnover at center, with Byron Hartley driving the puck to the net and tossing it past Austin newcomer Niko Goich for the early lead.

Just as they did in Friday's game, Hunter Bulger and Anthony Domina tag-teamed on the Bulls' second goal of the game, with Domina winning a faceoff to the left of Goich, and Bulger quickly throwing it on net. Bulger's shot snuck through underneath Goich to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead with 7:28 remaining in the period.

The Bruins bagged their first goal of the game with just 2:17 left in the period, starting with Nick Catalano's dash down the left wing - his drop pass found Jens Richards in hot pursuit behind him, and Richards's shot trickled through Hunter Garvey to trim the North Iowa lead to 2-1.

A second-chance goal from Carter Rapalje at 3:54 of the third period put the Bulls' lead back at a pair - Greg Japchen's shot from the left point ended up to Goich's left, and Rapalje was on the spot for North Iowa to put away the rebound and give the Bulls a 3-1 margin.

Austin took another bite out of the Bulls' lead with 6:50 remaining in the game, with Jack Malinski feeding the puck across the slot through Sutter Muzzatti - he would find Marian Haborak on the weak side for a snap from the left-wing faceoff circle that beat Garvey to cut the lead to 3-2.

The Bulls' penalty kill got into the action with 1:41 remaining - just five seconds after the end of a slashing call to Braidan Simmons-Fischer, Greg Japchen sprinted the puck down the right-wing wall to start a 2-on-1 and found Michael Mesic for a toss-in on the back door for a 4-2 lead and the game's final goal.

North Iowa controlled the pace of the game early, posting 16 shots on goal in the opening period against just seven for the Bruins. Austin would even things up through the final 40 minutes, though, with each team wrapping up the night with 29 shots on net. Goich took his first loss for Austin, making 25 saves, and Garvey made 27 stops for his first win as a North Iowa Bull.

The Bulls also became the first team to solve the Bruins' power play, holding Austin to an 0-for-5 mark on the man-advantage and posting their shorthanded marker in the final minutes for good measure. The North Iowa power play, however, went 0-for-5 itself, extending its string to 20 straight opportunities without a conversion.

North Iowa makes its longest trip of the season next weekend with a two-day visit to Minot, North Dakota to face the Minotauros. The opening puck drops at the Maysa Arena Friday and Saturday are slated for 7:35 p.m.

North Iowa 1 1 2 - 4

Austin 0 1 1 - 2

1st Period-1, North Iowa, Hartley 1 (Galante), 3:09. Penalties-Burkle Aus (slashing-minor), 14:31; Richards Aus (tripping-minor), 17:04.

2nd Period-2, North Iowa, Bulger 3 (Domina), 12:32. 3, Austin, Richards 6 (Catalano), 17:43. Penalties-Malinski Aus (slashing-minor), 3:52; Helgeson Nio (cross checking-minor), 8:52; Muzzatti Aus (high sticking-minor), 15:29; Mexico Nio (roughing-minor), 18:08; Malinski Aus (cross checking-minor), 18:08; Domina Nio (roughing-minor), 19:16; Mesic Nio (hooking-minor), 19:16; Riddle Aus (roughing-minor), 19:16.

3rd Period-4, North Iowa, Rapalje 3 (Carroll, Dombrowsky), 3:54. 5, Austin, Haborak 3 (Muzzatti, Malinski), 13:10. 6, North Iowa, Mesic 3 (Japchen), 18:19 (SH). Penalties-Scott Nio (tripping-minor), 13:58; Mesic Nio (cross checking-minor), 14:30; Gajewski Aus (roughing-minor), 14:30; Simmons-Fischer Aus (slashing-minor), 16:13; Carroll Nio (slashing-minor), 16:30; Rapalje Nio (checking from behind-minor), 19:46.

Shots on Goal-North Iowa 16-7-6-29. Austin 7-10-12-29.

Power Play Opportunities-North Iowa 0 / 5; Austin 0 / 5.

Goalies-North Iowa, Garvey 1-0-0-1 (29 shots-27 saves). Austin, Goich 1-1-0-0 (29 shots-25 saves).

A-478

Referees-Charles VanKula.

Linesmen-Grant Crowell, Aaron Mostrom.

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Images from this story

North Iowa Bulls forward Hunter Bulger catches his breath between plays
North Iowa Bulls forward Hunter Bulger catches his breath between plays
(North Iowa Bulls/Denise Williams)		   



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