AUSTIN, MN – AJ Drobot scored twice, while Mankato West standout Kyle Looft netted the game winner in his NAHL debut and the Bruins scored five unanswered goals to drop the Bismarck Bobcats, 5-2 on Friday night at Riverside Arena.
Bismarck held a 2-0 lead after the first period thanks to a shorthanded goal by Austin Junger and a powerplay tally from Tobias Fladeby. The remaining 40 minutes were dominated by the Bruins. AJ Drobot got the first goal, and the only one of the second period when he buried a rebound from a Travis Kothenbeutel shot just over four minutes in. Austin found themselves down 2-1 headed to the third.
At 8:05 of the third, the Bruins got even when Dan Petrick’s shot from the right wall deflected past Bobcat goalie Camden Haugenoe. Just over two minutes later, Looft scored a dazzling goal, stealing the puck in the neutral zone and ripping a perfect shot over Haugenoe’s shoulder for a 3-2 Bruins lead. Drobot would get his 2nd of the night on the powerplay at 14:20, followed by Justin Misiak’s shorthanded breakaway goal at 15:33 to seal a 5-2 win. Jake Kucharski made 20 saves in net for his fourth win. With the goals by Drobot and Misiak, the Bruins have a five-way tie for the team lead in goals.
The Bruins and Bobcats finish the weekend series on Saturday night at 7:05. All Austin Youth Hockey players receive free admission with a paid adult. General admission tickets are on sale at Hy-Vee, Jim’s Marketplace, Games People Play, and the Austin Holiday Inn.
