BLAINE, MN – The 2023-24 Season is officially underway as the Austin Bruins take down the Philadelphia Rebels in the first game of the NAHL Showcase.
During the first game at the 2023 NAHL, the Austin Bruins would match up with the Philadelphia Rebels on Wednesday afternoon in Blaine. It would be an evenly matched first period between both teams as after the first twenty minutes of action the game would remain scoreless. That would change in the second period as Philadelphia would strike first at 8:44 of the period on a quick shot from Max Marquette, his second of the season, to give the Rebels the lead, That lead would not last long, however, as Alex Laurenza would notch his first career NAHL goal while on the Chad Thomas Exit Realty Refined Power play to tie the game up at 1-1 a little under two minutes later. Isaak Brassard and Ashton Bynum would be credited with the assist on Laurenza’s goal.
Austin would keep their foot on the gas entering the third period as they would open up with three straight goals. The first would come from Austin Salani, who would find the rebound of the initial shot from Gustav Noren to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead just 2:34 into the period. Noren’s assist on Salani’s goal would not be the end for the Orebo, Sweden Native as he would collect his first career NAHL goal off of a redirected shot from Giuseppe Fiorillo a little over halfway through the third to make it 3-1. Moments later, Alex Laurenza would intercept a pass in neutral ice to spring Isaak Brassard on a 2-on-1 rush with Matys Brassard. Matys would then bury a shot past Rebels Netminder Lukas Fursten to give the Bruins a 4-1 lead. Max Marquette would cut the lead in half as he would score his second of the game at 12:32 in the third to pull Philadelphia back within two goals. From there, veteran goalie Trent Wiemken would shut down every chance the Rebels would throw his well en route to his first win of the young season. Wiemken would stop 15 of the 17 shots he would face.
The NAHL Showcase continues tomorrow afternoon with a rematch of the 2023 Robertson Cup Final with the Oklahoma Warriors in Blaine. Puck drop for tomorrow’s game is scheduled for 4:30 pm CST.
