Austin Bruins down North Iowa Bulls 5-1 Saturday evening

Coming off a 5-1 win versus the North Iowa Bulls at Riverside Arena Friday night, the Austin Bruins were on the road to Mason City Saturday evening in search of a weekend sweep to keep themselves in the NAHL Central Division playoff race, and veterans Ocean Wallace, Austin Salani and Dylan Cook each stepped to the fore with four-point games to help the Bruins to a 5-1 win.

Wallace netted his 21st goal of the season at 8:49 of the first period to give Austin a 1-0 lead, with assists to Dylan Cook, his 34th, and to Salani, his 34th of the season as well.  After North Iowa’s Nolan Grier knotted the game at 1-1 with a goal at 12:54 of the period, Salani scored what turned out to be the eventual game-winner on the power play at 16:46 to give the Bruins a 2-1 lead, with assists to Cook, his second of the game and 35th of the season, and also to Wallace, his 17th.  Connor Brust then lit the lamp at 18:04 of the period for his third goal of the season to give the Bruins a 3-1 lead, with assists to Wallace, his second of the game and 18th of the season, and Salani then netted his second goal of the game and his 29th of the season at 13:44 of the second period to increase Austin’s lead to 4-1, with assists to Wallace, his third of the game and 19th of the season, and to Dylan Cook, his third of the game and 37th of the season, and a power play goal from Cook, his 14th of the season at 19:24 of the period accounted for the 5-1 final, with assists to Salani, his second of the game and 35th of the season, and to goaltender Vilgot Holm, his first of the season to round out the scoring for the game.

The Bruins outshot the Bulls 35-21 for the game, with Holm turning aside 20 of the 21 shots he faced to earn the win in net, while North Iowa’s Connor Graham kicked out 30 of the 35 shots he faced to take the loss.  Austin was called for four penalties for eight minutes, while North Iowa was whistled for six penalties for 20 minutes, and the Bruins wound up going 2 for 4 on the power play, while the Bulls were 1 for 3.

With the weekend sweep, the Bruins are now 28-24-2-1-1 for 59 points, which puts them in a tie for the fourth and final playoff spot with the St. Cloud Norsemen, and just two points behind the third-place Aberdeen Wings with 61 points, and the Bruins will take on the Wings in Aberdeen this coming weekend, with faceoff from Odde Ice Center at 7:10 p.m. both Friday and Saturday evenings.