Brooks, Alberta — The Brooks Bandits saw their five-game winning streak snapped Saturday night, falling 4–3 to the Salmon Arm Silverbacks in a hard-fought contest. Despite a two-goal, three-point performance from Alexei Zhukov, the Bandits couldn’t complete the comeback.
The opening frame belonged to the Silverbacks, as Jared Rothman struck twice in quick succession at 4:29 and 8:01 to give Salmon Arm an early 2–0 lead. Zhukov responded late in the period with a power-play marker at 17:20, but Mateu Späth restored the two-goal cushion just 13 seconds before intermission, sending the Bandits to the dressing room down 3–1.
The Silverbacks extended their lead early in the second period, prompting head coach Dakota Mason to make a goaltending change; Zach Zahara replaced Sharky Nowek between the pipes. The move appeared to energize Brooks, as Dante Siciliano deflected a point shot from Krists Retenais to pull the Bandits within two. Both teams traded chances for the remainder of the frame, but strong goaltending kept the score unchanged.
Zhukov struck again early in the third, burying his second of the night at 3:56 to make it a one-goal game. The Bandits pressed relentlessly in the final minutes, generating sustained pressure and several close calls, but the equalizer never came.
The Silverbacks held on for the 4–3 victory, handing Brooks its first loss in six games.
The Bandits will look to bounce back next weekend when they travel to West Kelowna for a two-game set. Puck drop for both contests is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. PT.
