CLOQUET, MN – After falling into a 3-0 hole in the opening period, the Bruins couldn’t get any closer than one goal down and eventually lost by a 7-3 final, dropping their fourth in a row – all to the Minnesota Wilderness.
Goals by Nicholas Michel, Gino Lucia, and Colin Baird built the Wilderness a 3-0 lead by the 14:42 mark of the opening period. With 1:32 remaining, Dan Petrick set up Evan Cholak at the bottom of the right-wing circle to get the Bruins on the board, trailing 3-1 at the end of one.
It appeared that the comeback was alive when the Bruins closed to 3-2 early in the second frame. Riley Doyon drove down the center lane and backhanded a second chance home for his first goal as a Bruins. Travis Kothenbeutel added his league-leading 24th assist on the goal. At 8:59 of the period, a goal by the Wilderness’ Isaac Kobienia would prove to be an important one as it restored the two goal lead that stood up through the 40 minutes.
The Bruins were forced to kill off a major penalty assessed for kneeing to Devon Fields but soon after allowed a goal to defenseman Eric Gotz to effectively put the game away at 5-2. Alex Mella answered quickly, set up by Dante Sheriff, but a pair of goals by Luke Dow, including an empty-netter, brought the game to the 7-3 final.
Ryan Fanti made 27 saves for the win while Alex Schilling stopped 31 in the loss. The Wilderness jump the Bruins into sole possession of second place in the Central Division with their fifth win in a row. Austin returns home to host the Minot Minotauros for a pair next weekend at Riverside Arena.
