MASON CITY, IA – After a tough nine-game stretch, the Austin Bruins pick up their first win since February 4th in a 5-2 victory over the North Iowa Bulls.
With only 11 games left in the regular season, the Bruins knew what was on the line as the push for the playoffs is well underway. Michael Mesic would light the lamp first for the Bulls, as the Northern Michigan University commit would pick up his 16th of the season. Hunter Bulger would make it a 2-0 lead at the 15:38 mark of the 1st and would stay that way after 20 minutes of action.
Those two goals in the 1st of the Bulls would be their last of the night and from the 2nd period on, it would be all Bruins. Anthony Menghini, would snipe one past Kyle Kozma to give the Bruins their 1st goal of the night. Then, the Bruins would be on the Chad Thomas Thrivent Power Play as Sutter Muzzatti would screen Kozma to allow Jack Malinski to find the back of the net and tie the game up at 2-2. The Power Play would not be the only special team action to score, as the Bruins, while on the Kris Heichel Team Powered by Fairway Mortgage Penalty Kill, Nick Catalano would pick up his 11th of the season on a short-handed goal to give their Bruins their first lead of the night! A little over a minute later, Michael Jasenec would blast one past Kozma to give the Bruins 4-2 lead to the locker room. Walter Zacher would seal the deal with an empty netter with less than 2 minutes to play in regulation to give the Bruins a 5-2 win and their first since February 4th. Ethan Robertson would stop 24 of the 26 shots he would face.
Both teams are back at it tomorrow night at Riverside Arena with puck drop set for 7:05 PM.
