BROOKS, AB (February 18, 2019) – The Brooks Bandits (53-3) became the first AJHL team since 1977 to win 28 straight home games, the second to ever win 53 games in a season, and the first to win 29 straight games, with a 3-1 home win over the Calgary Mustangs on Monday afternoon in front of a near-capacity crowd of 1,853.
The win tied the Bandits with the 1976-77 Red Deer Rustlers, the only other team to win 28 straight home games, and with the 2012-13 Brooks Bandits, who went 53-4-3 en route to the team’s first national championship.
Brooks opened the scoring in the final minute of the first period when Brandon Scanlin (Hamilton, ON) blasted a power play point shot through a screen and past Calgary goalie Ashton Abel. They doubled the lead at the 6:06 mark of the second period on a Mack Hancock (Kingston, ON) wrist shot from the slot off the rush.
But Calgary made it interesting down the stretch, with defenceman Tyler Lentz scoring on a long point shot through a screen on a power play to cut the deficit in half at the 10:23 mark of the third. It would be the only goal against for Pierce Charleson (Aurora, ON) though, as he made 21 saves on 22 Calgary shots for the win.
Nathan Plessis (Salmon Arm, B.C.) completed the scoring on the power play at 13:28, jamming home a rebound of a Scanlin point shot to notch the 3-1 final score.
The Bandits will next host the Camrose Kodiaks on Friday night at 7 PM for their annual Charity Jersey Night, supporting the Alberta Childrens Hospital Foundation. A win would make the team the first in AJHL history to win 54 games, or to win 29 home games in a single season. Tickets are available online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca.