The Drumheller Dragons are regrouping after being defeated in three straight games last week.
In their most recent game, on Friday, the Dragons suffered a brutal mugging at the hands of the Brooks Bandits, losing 5-2. So far this season, the Dragons have yet to win over the Bandits.
The Bandits wasted no time asserting their dominance as the top team in the AJHL. The game had barely begun before the Bandits stuffed the puck behind Dragons goalie Etienne Roy for a 1-0 lead.
From there, tempers ran high between the two teams. At 2:47 into the game, a brawl broke out between the Dragons and Bandits, with Tristan Reimer and Mitchell Gartner representing the Dragons. Soon after, Brodie Jamieson was put away for slashing and Brennan Baxandall for roughing.
The Bandits lead did not last long. After the fighting had ceased, Dragons points leader Ryan Bloom, with an assist from Colton Vannucci and Christopher Rauckman, tied the game up.
The two teams headed back to their dressing rooms locked in a 1-1 tie.
When the second period opened, a roughing penalty by Bandit Anthony Paskaruk, gave the Dragons the edge they needed. While on the ensuing power play, Dakota Zaharichuk, off a pass from Ryan Aasman, gave the Dragons a 2-1 lead over the Bandits, which was the first time they have led the Bandits all season.
Unfortunately the lead would only last a few minutes before the Bandits took the reins of the game. At 8:38 in the second, the Bandits tied the game up and then scored again less than a minute later.
The game wasn’t out of reach yet and the Dragons headed into the intermission only down by one.
The Bandits did not relent, however, and increased their lead by two in the opening few minutes of the third. Their lead was again shored up after Mitchell Cook was put away for holding, leaving the Dragons short-handed. The Bandits took advantage of the situation and scored their fifth and final goal of the night.
The loss, the third in a row, leaves the Dragons in fourth place of the AJHL southern division with 50 points. They will be looking to catch up to the third place Okotoks Oilers tonight at home, when they host the Oilers.
