Late Heroics Lead Bruins to Sweep
Published on April 10, 2015 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Austin Bruins News Release
For the first time in franchise history, the Austin Bruins have swept a postseason series.
The Bruins were challenged by the Aberdeen Wings all the way to finish Friday in Game 3 of the Central Division Semifinal series at the Odde Ice Center in South Dakota, but the regular season division champions would not be defeated. The Bruins used a late third period goal to edge the Wings 4-3 to advance to the division finals.
With only three combined shots in the first five minutes of play, Game 3 looked like it would be a defensive showdown. However, an Aberdeen penalty gave the Bruins suddenly potent power play an opportunity to gain some early momentum.
Alex Pettersson (Ockero, Sweden) centered a pass from the right wing wall to Luke Forfar (Darien, IL) between the circles, and Forfar fired a wrist shot past Wings goalie Andrew Shortridge (Eagle River, AK) to give Austin a 1-0 lead. Late in the period, Bruins captain Brian Bachnak (Riverview, MI), who returned to the lineup after missing the first two games of the series, lit the lamp with a shot from high in the slot. Austin carried a 2-0 lead into the first intermission.
The Bruins exploded for 21 shots on goal in the middle frame, but this time Shortridge was up to task, stopping all 21. The Wings finally broke a five-period scoreless drought late in the period, when Will Hammer (St. Cloud, MN) deflected a Jackson Graalum (Fargo, ND) shot past Austin goalie Jake Kielly (Eden Prairie, MN) to cut the lead in half at the end of two periods.
Off of a clean offensive zone face-off win, the Bruins added to their lead when Riese Zmolek (Rochester, MN) blasted a point shot off the draw for his first career goal at 4:39 of the third period. Then Aberdeen s Tucker DeYoung (Lake Bluff, IL) tallied two consecutive goals, the second of which was on the power play, to tied the game 3-3.
In the final minutes of regulation, Zmolek fed Nico Sturm (Augsburg, Germany) a perfect head-man pass and Sturm beat Shortridge on the short side to move the Bruins in front for good with 1:56 to play. Kielly made a sensational right pad save in the final seconds when Aberdeen was scrambling for the equalizer. He finished with 19 saves for his second straight playoff win. It was also the team s ninth consecutive win going back to the regular season.
The Bruins will now host Minot in two weeks to start the Central Division Finals. It will be Austin s fourth consecutive appearance in the division finals, as the team will have a chance to defend their Central Cup from last season. The Minotauros swept Bismarck in three games, including a 2-1 win in Game 3 Friday in Minot. Games 1 and 2 of the series will be April 24th and 25th at Riverside Arena in Austin.
North American Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2015
- Late Heroics Lead Bruins to Sweep - Austin Bruins
- Austin Ends Aberdeen's Season, 4-3 Final - Aberdeen Wings
- Charyszyn, Kuzmeski Score as Wildcats Drop Game 1 - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Charyszyn, Kuzmeski Score as Wildcats Drop Game 1 - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- Game 3 Tonight - Aberdeen Wings
- NAHL Attendance Hits One Million Mark for Fourth Straight Season - NAHL
- Robertson Cup Playoff Update - Soo Eagles
- 2015 NAHL Robertson Cup North Division Playoffs Preview - Soo Eagles
- Eagles Travel to Keystone to Open North Division Playoffs - Soo Eagles
- Put Away Time - Minot Minotauros
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