AUSTIN, Minn. – With the Robinson Cup playoffs just around the corner, the Austin Bruins took down the Bismarck Bobcats, 3-0, behind a hat-trick from Garrett Dahm and a 31-save shutout effort from Kyle McClellan.
The Bruins welcomed the Bismarck Bobcats to Riverside Arena for the second-to-last game of the regular season. After a scoreless first period, the Bruins got to work in the second.
Garrett Dahm got his first goal of the night skating through the slot and beating Bismarck netminder John Roberts over the shoulder. With the lead, 1-0, the Bruins were able to weather a Bismarck power-play to end the second period and the teams headed to the locker-room after two periods with Austin on top by a goal.
In the third period, Dahm found the back of the net for the second time on the night, his thirteenth goal of the season, dancing through some traffic in front and shoving the puck past the line. Austin was able to kill off their second penalty of the night, and with time dwindling down, Carson Riddle made an unselfish play when he gave up a shot opportunity, opting instead to pass to Dahm who scored his third goal of the night into an empty net with only 11 seconds remaining in the game.
Despite being outshot by Bismarck in each of the three periods, Kyle McClellan brought his A-game, stopping all 31 Bobcats shots he faced earning his sixth shutout of the season. With the win, the Bruins improve 32-21-0-6 on the season while the Bobcats slide. 33-21-3-2 with the loss. The two teams will meet again on Saturday to round out the regular season. With Austin only trailing Bismarck by one point in the standings, a Bruins regulation-win on Saturday will lift them into third place in the NAHL Central Division and they’ll open the Robertson Cup playoffs on the road against Minot. If the Bruins fall to Bismarck, Austin will remain in fourth place in the NAHL Central and will begin the playoffs traveling to Aberdeen.
To get your tickets to Saturday night’s decisive regular-season finale, stop by any of the Bruins vendors to get your tickets including Games People Play, Hy-vee, Holiday Inn, and Jim’s Marketplace.
