AUSTIN, MINN. – The Austin Bruins (32-10-2-2, 68 pts) fell short 2-1 Friday night at home in a hard fought battle with the Aberdeen Wings.
Both teams came out firing on all cylinders early in the first, searching to take the lead early in a game with a lot of meaning headed into the final stretch before playoffs.
Aberdeen’s Price Grimes was called for a holding with 4:31 to go in the first, sending Austin on the power play for the first time of the night. Siamion Marschanok took a pass in the slot from Nathan Williams and fired it by the Wings’ netminder to take a 1-0 lead at 16:22.
52 seconds later, it would be the Bruins shorthanded courtesy of a Gus Elbert hold. Aberdeen would only need eight seconds to tie it back up, after Matthew Martin skipped one by the pad of Jack Solomon just a minute after Marshchanok’s goal.
Despite outshooting the Bruins 15-8 in the second, the Wings couldn’t beat Solomon in the second period to take a lead. Austin saw two power play opportunities in the middle frame, but also couldn’t score the go-ahead goal.
Just over halfway through the third, Cooper Anderson found the puck at the center point off of a faceoff and wristed it home for the eventual game-winning goal at 11:03.
The Bruins remain in first place with just a two point lead after the Bismarck Bobcats toppled the Minnesota Mallards Friday evening.
Austin looks to keep sole possession of the lead in the Central Division and split the weekend tomorrow night against Aberdeen with a Saturday night matchup scheduled for 7:05pm at Riverside Arena. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting tickets.austinbruins.com.
