Shootout Win Sends Bruins into Holiday Break
December 21, 2013 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Austin Bruins News Release
The Austin Bruins (20-10-1) had to wait a little bit longer than they had hoped to start a ten-day holiday break, but sent their fans home happy with a 4-3 shootout win Saturday over the Minnesota Wilderness (17-6-5) at Riverside Arena in Austin.
It took a while for the Bruins to get going after managing just five shots in the first period against the stingy Minnesota defense. The Wilderness notched the first goal 8:42 into the game, when Darian Romanko (Shoreview, MN) cleaned up a rebound of a carom from a wide shot that ricocheted off the high glass behind Bruins goaltender Nick Lehr (Roseville, MN).
Early in the second period, the Wilderness won an offensive zone faceoff and Will Peterson s (Eagan, MN) blast from the point found the top shelf to give Minnesota a 2-0 lead. Austin scored a few minutes later on the power-play when Josh Bretner s (N. Potomac, MD) shot from the point was tipped in from the edge of the crease by Luke Dietsch (St. Paul, MN). The Bruins tied the game at 16:09 of the frame, when Austin Nelson (Hastings, MN) snuck behind the Wilderness defense and fired a wrist shot past goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo (Vantaa, Finland). In the waning second of the period, the Bruins took their first lead when Dietsch centered a pass from the corner backdoor for Sam Kauppila (Gurnee, IL), who tapped in the one-timer to give Austin a 3-2 lead after two.
Thomas Lindstrom (Brooklyn Park, MN) tied the game for the Wilderness at 4:36 of the third period on a centering feed from Johno May (Mahtomedi, MN), positioned behind the net, to Lindstrom low in the left circle who snapped the shot into the top corner. With no scoring the rest of the period, the Bruins received an overtime power-play, but could not find the game-winner.
Drew Anderson (Rochester, MN), Scott Nelson (Apple Valley, MN) and Jay Dickman (Shoreview, MN) all scored in the shootout for Austin, while Nick Lehr stopped three of four Wilderness shooters to seal the win. Lehr also turned away 27 regulation shots in his 18th win of the season.
The Bruins will be off for ten days now through the holidays, before hitting the ice again on New Years Eve, when the Fairbanks Ice Dogs return to Riverside Arena for a 7:05pm faceoff in Austin. The game can be heard on 1480AM KAUS or viewed online at fasthockey.com.
North American Hockey League Stories from December 21, 2013
- Wild Enter Break With Whitewash Of Minot - Wenatchee Wild
- Shootout Win Sends Bruins into Holiday Break - Austin Bruins
- Bobcats Fall to Aberdeen 3-2 - Bismarck Bobcats
- Bednard's Goals Lead Tomahawks to 2-1 Win - Johnstown Tomahawks
- Bulls Fall to Wildcats 4-2 - Amarillo Bulls
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