Rustlie's Shutout, Laurenza's Hat Trick Power Weekend Sweep
October 27, 2024 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Austin Bruins News Release
WATERTOWN, SD - Both sides of the puck thrived Saturday night as the Austin Bruins (8-5-0-0) shut out the Watertown Shamrocks (2-9-1-1) 5-0, completing the weekend sweep.
Devin Rustlie recorded his first career shutout, stopping all 28 Watertown shots he faced. The shutout also marks the first time the Bruins have held an opponent scoreless this season.
The Bruins carried the momentum from Friday night's overtime winner into Saturday's matchup, striking first and early. Alex Laurenza scored just over a minute into the first period with Andrew Leung and Ludvig Mellgren providing the assists. Leung's assist being the first career NAHL point for the rookie defenseman.
Zander Lipsett scored his first career NAHL goal at 15:27 into the first to provide some early insurance, with Cole Ward providing an assist for his first career point.
The scoring didn't stop there as the all-Canadian top line of Laurenza, Luc Malkhassian, and EJ Paddington wreaked havoc throughout the second period. The trio contributed three more goals in the middle frame, each mixing it up on the scoresheet.
Malkhassian got things started 89 seconds in the period with his fourth goal of the season, contributing his league-leading 15th and 16th assists on the other two goals. Paddington notched a season high three assists, while Alex Laurenza completed the hat trick with two goals to close out the period. The line combined for a total of ten points, with Laurenza leading the way 3-1-4.
With the Aberdeen Wings losing to St. Cloud, the Bruins are now tied for third in the central division with 16 points.
The Bruins return to Riverside Arena on November 1 and 2 for a two-game series against the Bismarck Bobcats. November 1st is First Responders Night, with all first responders who present their ID receiving a free ticket.
Tickets for both nights are available at tickets.austinbruins.com.
• Discuss this story on the North American Hockey League message board...
North American Hockey League Stories from October 27, 2024
- Wings Take Their Third Loss of the Season at St. Cloud - Aberdeen Wings
- Weekend Recap Oct 26th & 28th - Minot Minotauros
- Colorado Scores 5 Power Play Goals, Defeats Amarillo 9-3 - Amarillo Wranglers
- Tonight's Takeaways: Hat Tricks Come up Short to End Road Trip - Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks
- Rustlie's Shutout, Laurenza's Hat Trick Power Weekend Sweep - Austin Bruins
- Barn Burner: Wolverines Sweep Wisconsin With Overtime Win - Anchorage Wolverines
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
