AUSTIN — North Iowa scored 3:19 into Saturday's game at Riverside Arena and the Austin Bruins couldn't recover, dropping a 4-2 North American Hockey League game to the visiting Bulls.
Austin had hoped to carry over the momentum from a shootout win at North Iowa on Friday night, but the Bruins couldn't generate a tying goal on Saturday.
Byron Hartley scored early in the first period for a 1-0 Bulls lead, and that's how the score remained until just more than halfway through the second period. Hunter Bulger's goal at 12:32 of the second made it a 2-0 game, but Jens Richards cut the Bruins' deficit in half five minutes later with his sixth goal of the young season.
North Iowa's Carter Rapalje made it a two-goal game again 3:54 into the third. His goal held up as the game winner.
The Bruins' Marian Haborak and North Iowa's Michael Mesic traded goals in the final eight minutes.
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Austin dropped to 5-2-1 overall, while North Iowa improved to 5-2-1. The teams are now tied atop the NAHL Central Division standings.
Austin plays just one game this week, a 7 p.m. start at St. Cloud on Friday.
