RICHFIELD, Minn. – The Bruins got goal contributions from four different skaters on Saturday, while goaltender Kyle McClellan stopped all 39 shots hurled in his direction as Austin took down the Magicians, 4-0. With the win, the Bruins have now earned at least one standing point in their last five games, keeping them tied for first place in the Central Division with Aberdeen.
Scoring quickly on the road is always the gameplan and the Bruins executed to perfection when Lane Krenzen notched his first goal of the season with a shot from the point that found its way to the back of the net through traffic. The goal came only 1:17 into the first period and gave the Bruins an early 1-0 lead and quieted the Magicians crowd. After killing a crucial penalty, something the Bruins have been stellar at all season, the momentum shifted in their favor once again around the 15-minute mark of the first period when Dante Sheriff sauntered into the zone and sniped a shot in the top right corner, beating Magicians goalie Ethan Haider for the 2-0 Bruins lead.
Much like Friday night, the two teams battled in the second period but were unable to score any goals. It was in the third period where the tallies would show up again, and fortunately for Austin, it was only on their side of the scoreboard. Val Ahlberg notched his second goal of the season with a quick turnaround shot that fooled Haider.
The icing on the cake would come in the waning seconds of the game when on the penalty-kill, Jed Pietila fell to a knee in his own defensive zone. Just attempting to clear the zone, his shot careened off the wall and slid the length of the ice into a waiting, empty net. Kyle McClellan would stop the next handful of shots before the horn sounded and the Bruins walked out of Richfield Ice Arena with the 4-0 shutout win.
With the win, Austin kept pace with Aberdeen for first place in the Central Division. The Bruins are back at home on Wednesday morning for the annual Healthy Habits Game presented by McDonald’s and Potach and Mitchell. Tickets are on sale now at all Bruins vendors including Games People Play, Holiday Inn, Jim’s Marketplace and Hy-Vee.
