Brooks, Alberta — The Brooks Bandits defeated the Coquitlam Express 4–3 in overtime at the Centennial Regional Arena Saturday night, scoring four unanswered goals between the third period and overtime.
Liam Loughery recorded the lone first-period goal at 12:13, giving the Express significant momentum heading into the second.
Nolan Dupont put another one past Zach Zahara at 8:20 of the second frame, followed by Georgios Stavrianeas finding pay dirt at 16:42. Things were looking grim for Brooks.
As soon as the puck dropped to start the third period, you could tell the momentum had shifted. Fans were more upbeat, the music at stoppages felt louder than it really was, and the players were moving their feet faster than usual. You could feel a spark in the building, as if every seat held someone who believed the game was about to turn.
Liam Fitzpatrick scored 26 seconds into the frame on a beautiful feed from Jack Good to put the Bandits on the board. That was followed by goals from Frantisek Albrecht at 11:59 and Harry Ahlberg at 14:55. Once the Bandits buried the tying goal, the building erupted, and suddenly every chirp was coming from the home bench. Every cheer seemed twice as loud, feeding the Bandits’ swagger.
The Bandits carried a late power play into overtime, and from there the game turned into a wild sprint. For more than eight minutes the momentum swung like a pendulum, players trading rushes one way and then the other. Finally, Frantisek Albrecht slipped in behind an unsuspecting defender, lifting his stick to steal the puck. He couldn’t finish the breakaway, but the play didn’t die; seconds later, Liam Fitzpatrick found him on the back door, wide open.
The place exploded, louder and wilder than any celebration before it. First-timers were suddenly screaming like they’d followed the Bandits for years, and even the staff was swept up in the moment.
The Bandits are back in action at the CRA next Saturday when they host the Blackfalds Bulldogs in a matchup between two of the top three teams in the Interior East Division. Puck drop is at 7:00 MT.
Photo Credit: Lisa Klassen
