AUSTIN, MN – Justin Misiak scored two goals and added an assist as the Bruins dropped Brookings 4-2 on Friday night at Riverside Arena, moving into a third place tie with the Blizzard in the Central Division, at 30 points each.
Misiak opened the scoring at 11:50 of the first, camped at the side of net, and scooping a rebound after deflecting a Tanner DuFault pass off the post. Jon Richards, the third forward on that line, added a secondary assist. Less than a minute later, the Blizzard got even when Brandon Kruse got a rebound behind Alex Schilling after several Bruins defensive zone turnovers. The Blizzard outshot Austin 11-8 after one period as the game was tied at one.
Misiak struck again just 1:25 into the second to restore the Bruins lead as he trailed DuFault’s drive into the zone and snapped a shot past Blizzard goaltender Josh Boyko for a 2-1 lead. Two minutes and fifteen seconds later, the Bruins struck shorthanded, as Travis Kothenbeutel ripped a wrister through defenseman Brett Callahan and then Boyko. It was the 6th shorthanded goal of the season for the Bruins, tops in the NAHL. The Bruins lead was trimmed back to one when Cade Bordchardt found a loose puck around Schilling’s doorstep at 18:16. Austin led 3-2 at the end of two.
The teams traded chances through the third until Jon Richards provided some insurance at 16:05, stealing a puck from the Blizzard defense and slipping it between Boyko’s pads for a 4-2 lead. Misiak received the lone assist. Alex Schilling made 30 stops for his fifth win and second in as many nights. The Bruins go for the “three-in-three” sweep in Brookings on Saturday night at 7:05.
