AUSTIN, MN – With the second half of the season officially underway, the push for the Playoffs have begun as the Austin Bruins looked to defend their lead in the Central Division.
Tonight marked the first game of three straight against North Iowa and the Bruins and Bulls met up at Riverside Arena on Friday. The Bruins would get on the board first while on the Exit Reality Refined Power Play as Gavin Morrissey would pick up his 6th goal of the season with the assist going to Josh Giuliani and Jimmy Goffredo. After the first period, the Bruins would hold North Iowa to only six shots on goal and headed to the locker room with a 1-0 lead.
A little over two minutes into the 2nd period, the game would find itself tied after a redirected shot from Simone Dadie to beat Ethan Robertson’s glove side. The Power Play for the Bruins would continue to be strong as Dylan Cook would net his 8th of the season, and 2nd Power Play goal of the night for the Bruins to give Austin back the one-goal lead into the third period.
North Iowa would put pressure on the Bruins in the third and it would result in the second goal of the night for Dadie to tie the game up at 2-2. Sixty minutes of regulation would not be enough as the Bruins and Bulls would go to overtime. It would be Nolan Abraham who would score the game-winner for North Iowa and would come away with the 3-2 win. The Bruins would outshoot North Iowa 40-24.
Tomorrow night the Bruins head to Mason City for game two of the three-game series with puck drop scheduled for 7:10 PM CST.
