AUSTIN, Minn. – Despite the Bruins jumping out to a 2-0 lead, Fairbanks scored four-straight to take down the Bruins 5-2 on Friday night.
It was the third game of the season between the Bruins and Ice Dogs, the second game this week, and the first at Riverside Arena. Coming into Friday the Bruins were 4-0-0-1 on home ice, and they started off on the right foot against Fairbanks. Just over three minutes into the game, Walter Zacher netted his sixth goal of the season off a feed from Sutter Muzzatti. Austin continued their attack a little over four minutes later. While on the power-play, Garrett Dahm circled behind the net and came out to the blue line. The third-year Bruin ripped a shot over the shoulder of Fairbanks netminder Kayden Hargraves giving the Bruins a 2-0 lead.
From there, the wheels fell off the wagon. Fairbanks would score the next four goals in the game, starting late in the first period. Andrew Garby scored first late in the opening period, bring the score to 2-1 after 20 minutes. In the second, Fairbanks went on a three-goal run. Bret Link scored a power-play goal five-and-a-half minutes into the second to even the game at 2-2. Austin Becker and Laker Aldridge also put pucks past Hudson Hodges to give Fairbanks the commanding 4-2 lead after two periods.
The Bruins got things together out of the gate in the third and managed to pull within one. Alex Trombley, on an amazing individual effort, stripped a Fairbanks defenseman behind the goal-line before walking out into the high-slot and rifling one over Hargraves’ shoulder. Despite their furied attempts, the Bruins couldn’t find the equalizer and Fairbanks added the empty-netter in the final minute to seal the game.
Hargraves earned the win stopping 24 of 27 Bruins shots while Hodges shouldered the loss turning aside 26 of 30 Ice Dogs changes. The Bruins managed to go 1-for-five on their power-play opportunities while Fairbanks was held to one goal in three chances. The two teams meet again on Saturday night, the third consecutive game between the clubs this week. Tickets are currently sold out, but admission to future Bruins games are available online by visiting www.austinbruins.com
