AUSTIN, MN – After starting off the season with a six-game point streak, the Bruins suffered their first regulation loss of the season in a 3-2 final with North Iowa.
Friday night would be the first meeting of the season against the two central division rivals, as North Iowa would visit Riverside Arena on Friday Night. Twenty minutes of shutout hockey by both Ethan Robertson for the Bruins and Mitch Day for the Bulls would set the tone for the second period. Walter Zacher would get the Bruins on the board first, as the Buffalo, NY native would sneak his shot from the point past Day just 3:23 into the period. From there, North Iowa would come back with two straight, one from Eli Miller, his first career NAHL goal, and from the Bulls’ Captain Max Scott on the Power Play to give North Iowa a 2-1.
The score would stay at 2-1 until late into the third period, where Byron Hartly would get his 3rd of the season of a rebound from the initial shot from Justin Mexico to give North Iowa a 3-1 lead with less than five minutes to play. In the closing three minutes of regulation, the Bruins would pull Robertson in lew of an extra attacker and would capitalize in the closing minute as Dylan Cook would bank a shot of a Bulls’ player in front of Day to pull the Bruins back within one. With six seconds left to go, the Bruins would get a 2-on-1 chance from Gavin Morrissey and Ocean Wallace, but Mitch Day would make a last-second toe save to secure the win for North Iowa. Robertson would stop 20 of the 23 shots he would face on the night.
The Bruins head down to Mason City tomorrow night for the first time this season with game time set for 7:10 PM CST.
