Brooks, Alberta – The Brooks Bandits will visit the Sherwood Park Crusaders this coming Wednesday after defeating the Crusaders 6-4 just last Saturday at the Centennial Regional Arena.
“We came out with not our best effort, and that set us back,” said Bandits Assistant Coach Ryan Wilkinson regarding the Crusaders taking the early first-period lead. “We found momentum, then we lost it, then we found it again. The start is key for us.”
Zachary Deleau recorded a goal and an assist in the victory and now leads all BCHL defencemen in points with six. He is tied for fifth among all skaters in that category. Van Tassel is the only person on the Bandits with more points, totaling seven, including six goals.
Yundi Cai started his first junior game of his career and posted a 34-save victory. The 2009-born goaltender impressed in his debut.
“It was awesome to see him as a young kid get his first start in the BCHL… he saved us,” added Wilkinson. “If he didn’t play the way he did in the first period [I am not sure we win that game]… he was our best player.”
The Bandits will now visit the Randy Rosen Rink in Sherwood Park for the first time this season.
“We have been taking steps forward, but we have to make sure that it is consistent,” said Wilkinson. “We know that it isn’t going to be perfect [this early in the year], we just got to make sure we are playing together as a team because then we are going to be very tough to beat.”
The Crusaders have yet to win a game this season, sitting at a 0-3 record so far for the campaign. Dmitry Pavlov, who scored twice against the Bandits last Saturday, leads all Sherwood Park scorers with four goals in three games.
Justin Robinson is the goaltender and has just a .869 SV% and a 5.48 GAA through three games this year.
The Crusaders have been outscored 16-8, conceding double their own output. They have allowed six goals twice so far this season and haven’t stopped less than four.
Puck drop will be at 7:00 MT in Sherwood Park on Wednesday night.
