Six Straight for First Place Bruins
March 4, 2015 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Austin Bruins News Release
For the third year in a row, the Austin Bruins (32-10-11) will have home ice in the first round of the Central Division playoffs. The next goal for the first place Bruins is to clinch their third straight division title. With a 2-1 win Wednesday over the Brookings Blizzard (17-25-9) at Riverside Arena in Austin, the Bruins sit seven points ahead of Minot in the standings with seven games to play.
With 19 seconds left in an early power play, Nico Sturm (Augsburg, Germany) blasted a one-timer past Blizzard goalie Ryan Kubic (St. Andrews, MB) from the left circle to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead. Scoring chances were few and far between in the opening frame, but Austin outshot Brookings 10-4.
The Bruins added to the lead, when Zach Kennedy (Eagle River, WI) batted in a bouncing puck on the edge of the crease at the end of a goal-mouth scramble. The goal gave Austin a 2-0 lead at 8:05 of the second period. Kubic kept the Blizzard close with a few key saves later in the frame, and Bruins goalie Evan Smith (Parker, CO) stopped all ten shots he face in the first two frames.
Brookings gained some confidence in the third period after its struggling offense capitalized on a failed clearing attempt. Kris Bruin (Stockholm, Sweden kept a bouncing puck in the zone at the point and centered a pass into the slot for Nate Colwell (Englewood, CO). Colwell chipped the puck past Smith to cut the Austin lead in half at 12:03 of the frame. The Bruins kept the Blizzard at bay the rest of the way to clinch home ice in the first round of the playoffs.
Smith stopped 18 shots for his seventh win in nine starts, and Kubic made 25 saves in the loss.
Five of the last seven games for the Bruins will be against the Blizzard, starting Saturday night in Brookings. Game time at the Larson Ice Center is scheduled for 7:15pm and coverage will begin on fasthockey.com and 1480AM KAUS in Austin at 7:05. The Bruins then return home to Austin March 13-14 for two games against the Minnesota Wilderness.
North American Hockey League Stories from March 4, 2015
- Six Straight for First Place Bruins - Austin Bruins
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- Wilderness Forward Romanko Commits to University of Minnesota - Minnesota Wilderness
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- Date Changes for IceRays 2015 Pre-Draft Camp - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Tanner Lomsnes Commits to Division I Niagara University - Corpus Christi IceRays
- Weekend Preview against Corpus Christi - Lone Star Brahmas
- NAHL Announces Monthly Player Awards for February - NAHL
- Weekend Preview: Ice Miners Look for Playoff Clincher in Flint - Keystone Ice Miners
- Jacks Welcome Zooperstars to the Coliseum - Odessa Jackalopes
- Kania Receives NAHL Weekly Honors - Aberdeen Wings
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