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Wednesday, Wednesday,February February26, 26,2014 2014 Grand GrandForks ForksGazette Gazette
Sports
Bruins on outside looking in
CRAIG LINDSAY
Grand Forks Gazette
After a promising start to the season, the Grand Forks Border Bruins are on the outside looking in once again come playoff time. The Bruins started the season 3-0 and, even after cooling off, the team hovered around the .500 mark as they held on to the fourth and final playoff spot for the first half of the year. However, the departure of popular coach and general manager Nick Deschenes and injuries to key players such as captain and top scorer Jackson Purvis and goalie Dominic Stadynk saw the team plunge into a slump that lasted most of the second half of the season, culminating in the team going winless for the month of February. The Bruins’ season ended on a 10 game losing skid, capped off with a 10-5 loss to Princeton in the team’s final game. The drubbing, which took place Saturday in Princeton, saw the Posse pull ahead 3-2 after one period, 6-2 after two, and finally getting four unanswered goals in the third for the 10-5 win. Scoring for GF were Purvis with a pair, Tucker Brown, Michael Rand and Connor Gross. Stadynk was in net for almost 47 minutes, giving up seven goals in 29 shots. Kai McDonald let in three goals in seven shots playing the other 13 minutes.
On Friday, the Border Bears took on the Castlegar Rebels and fell 5-3. The Bruins led 2-0 early on goals from Rand and Purvis before giving up a late first period goal to the Rebels’ Aaron Petten. The Rebs then scored two more unanswered goals in the second to take a commanding 4-2 lead. Mitchell Pearson brought GF back to within one at 15:02 of the third period, assisted by Brandon Savaia and Lukas Peters. Derek Georgopolous scored an insurance marker at 7:34 to put the game away for the visiting Rebels. Stadnyk was solid between the pipes for the Bruins, stopping 65 of 70 Castlegar shots. Bear Bits • Grand Forks finishes with 16 wins, 32 losses, 2 ties and 2 overtime ties for 36 points, 12 behind Spokane for the final playoff spot and 45 behind division leading Nelson. • Connor Gross led the team in scoring with 32 goals and 73 points in 49 games. • Jackson Purvis came second with 61 points in 38 games. • Max Newton and Dakota Kittle tied for third with 42 points each.
Bruins 2, Thundercats 5 The Border Bruins continued their losing streak in February, dropping a 5-2 decision Wednesday at home to the
Creston Valley Thundercats. The ‘Cats showed why they are the top team in the Eddie Mountain division and one of the top squads in the KIJHL, showing their patience and discipline as they went the whole game without incurring a single penalty. The Bears started out strong, taking a 1-0 lead in the first period with a goal from Drew Carter, assisted by Coleton Dawson and Michael Rand. Creston scored three unanswered goals in the second period to take a commanding 3-1 lead using their disciplined passing game. Connor Gross cut the Thunder Cat lead to 3-2 at 7:08 of the third, assisted by Dakota Kittle and Nathan Cory. CV held off the Bruins until they were able to get an insurance marker from Jesse Collin at 3:45 of the third. Logan Styler scored an empty netter with 23 seconds left to finish the game off. Assistant coach and general manager Matt Zamec was quick to praise the play of Bruins net minder Kai McDonald, who stopped a hefty 68 of 72 shots. “It was a good game,” he said. “They got the empty netter at the end. It was 3-2 right up until almost the end. It was really tight. Creston Valley is a really good team. They showed why they are one of the best teams in the league. They are such a disciplined team.”
Atoms fAll short in chAllenge
Jacob Webster chases down a Trail forward in front of the net.
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Craig Lindsay photos
The Grand Forks Bruins atoms (nine to 10 year olds) played for the Bruins Challenge Trophy on the weekend with five total teams in the tournament. The Bruins tied Nelson 2-2 but lost against Greater Trail Vipers 3-2. In the final game of the weekend the Bruins lost 11-1 to the Castlegar Ice Hawks. The Bruins won against the Greater Trail Wings 3-2 on a late goal by Nickolie Horkoff. The Castlegar Ice Hawks won the Bruins Challenge Trophy as the top team on the weekend, while the Bruins finished fifth. The Grand Forks atoms won the Cour d’Alene tournament on Nov. 29-30.
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Megan Gorman and Joaquin Mattic fight for the puck in the goal crease.
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