Sherwood Park, Alberta – The Brooks Bandits fell 5-4 in overtime to the Sherwood Park Crusaders Wednesday night and will host Game 5 back in Brooks on Friday. The series is now tied 2-2.
Harry Ahlberg scored the first goal of the game off a beautiful feed from Alexei Zhukov on a two on one (6:22). Zhukov and Ahlberg both posted multi point outings.
Jack Rosensteel followed it up with a goal at 8:47 after Dilevka put the puck in front of the net on a wraparound attempt. Joseph Sinclair answered for the Crusaders at 11:13, but Liam Fitzpatrick buried one on his backhand at 17:36 to regain the Bandits’ two goal cushion. Before the first intermission, Michal Mikan scored to get the Crusaders back within one (17:57).
The second period was dominated by the Crusaders. Braeden O’Keefe (5:13) and Quincy Supprien scored the only tallies of the period and gave the Crusaders a one goal advantage heading into the final frame.
After Ahlberg was given a game misconduct and a major penalty for a check to the head, the Bandits not only killed off the five minute major but Isaac Johnson scored to tie the game at four goals apiece at 13:58 of the third period. The game went to overtime for the second straight night.
Despite early pressure from the Bandits, Ryan White found the winner at 8:36 of the extra period.
The series will now pivot back to Brooks for Game 5 on Friday before Game 6 is played in Sherwood Park on Sunday.
