Blackfalds Bulldogs Bonnyville Pontiacs Brooks Bandits Calgary Canucks Camrose Kodiaks Canmore Eagles Drayton Valley Thunder Drumheller Dragons Fort McMurray Oil Barons Grande Prairie Storm Lloydminster Bobcats Okotoks Oilers Olds Grizzlys Sherwood Park Crusaders Spruce Grove Saints Whitecourt Wolverines

Bandits Defeat Red Lake 11-4 at 2022 Centennial Cup

ESTEVAN, SK (May 21, 2022) – The Brooks Bandits tied a Centennial Cup record for most goals in one game following an 11-4 victory over the Red Lake Miners in Preliminary Round action on Saturday at Affinity Place.

The Bandits (2-0-0-0) scored five unanswered goals in the 3rd period to pull away and defeat the Superior International Junior Hockey League (SIJHL) Champions to win back-to-back games to open the 2022 Centennial Cup, presented by Tim Hortons. Goaltender Ethan Barwick made 13 saves.

Photo: Matt Murnaghan

Red Lake opened the scoring with a shorthanded goal 3:35 into the contest; Jordan Baranesky tapped in a pass off an odd-man rush to make it 1-0 Miners. But Brooks responded at 5:25, forward Dario Beljo (AIC) sniped a right circle shot top corner to make it 1-1. The Bandits got their first lead at 6:11 on the powerplay, as forward Noah Hackett (Niagara) skated through a defender in the left circle and shelved a forehand shot to make it 2-1. Bandits forward Nic DeGraves extended the lead to 3-1 at 10:08, scoring off the rush on a forehand shot. Forward Aiden Fink (Wisconsin) added to the lead at 17:29, cleaning up a loose puck off a Hunter Wallace (RPI) attempt. Shots were 16-3 Brooks in the period.

The Miners opened the scoring in the 2nd period, as Noah Kramps scored off the rush at 2:36 to cut the Bandits lead to 4-2. But Brooks would get two back, as forward Heath Armstrong was fed a cross-ice pass from Hackett, and while his initial shot was stopped by Miners goaltender Jaxson Taupert, he got his own rebound and scored to make it 5-2 at 7:19. That was followed by a TJ Hughes (Michigan) goal, who deked a defender and slid a forehand shot into the net at 14:01 to make it 6-2. Red Lake would score twice to get within two, as Nic Bolin scored on the backhand at 14:44 to make it 6-3, followed by a Brady Harroun goal at 17:19 to cut the lead to 6-4. Shots were 12-7 Brooks in the period.

Brooks only needed 38 seconds into the 3rd period to take a 7-4 lead, as forward Devin Phillips (Holy Cross) one-timed a shot from the right circle. He scored again at 4:25 from the same spot on a one-timer to make it 8-4. Forward Hunter Wallace sniped a left circle shot 8:17 to increase the lead to 9-4, and then forward Ryan McAllister (Western Michigan) scored on a forehand shot from the left circle at 13:33 to give Brooks a 10-4 lead. The Bandits put the final touches on the game at 15:55 on the powerplay, as defenceman Josh Zinger (Northern Michigan) caught a pass in the slot and took a wrist shot that found the back of the net to make it 11-4. Shots in the 3rd period were 17-7 Bandits and 45-17 overall.

There have been seven games in Centennial Cup history, including this game, that saw one team score 11 goals. No team has ever scored 12 in a game.

The Bandits return to the ice on Tuesday, May 24 at 12:00 pm (MST) vs the Pickering Panthers, the Ontario Junior Hockey League Champions. The game can be heard on Real Country 105.7 FM or streamed for free on hockeycanada.com/centennialcup.