AUSTIN, MN – The Wings scored late in the 1st and again late in the 3rd while their goaltender, Peter Thome did the rest and Aberdeen claimed a 2-0 win at Riverside arena on Friday night, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
Kevin Fitzgerald broke the seal at the 19:40 mark of the first period after Tyler Bossert came out of the corner and Bruins goalie Robbie Goor couldn't cover the puck. The Wings went into shutdown defense mode for nearly the rest of the entire game, adding to their lead at 17:35 of the third on a Gavin Payne wraparound. Although the Bruins outshout the Wings 36-27, there weren't many quality scoring changes. Austin was without third leading scorer Jacob Paganelli due to a two game suspension.
The Wings jumped over the Minnesota Magicians in the standings, who were eliminated with a 4-1 home loss to Bismarck. The Bobcats clinched the regular season Central Division Title, sending the Bruins to Minot to open the playoffs next weekend. Aberdeen needs a win plus a regulation loss by Brookings to Minot tonight.
