We are part of The Trust Project.
AUSTIN — The Austin Bruins’ six-game winning streak came to an end Friday night, though the Bruins didn’t go down without a fight, falling 3-2 in a North American Hockey League game against the North Iowa Bulls at Riverside Arena.
The Bruins lost in regulation for just the third time in 21 games this season, dropping to 14-2-5 overall. Austin remains in first place in the NAHL Central Division, however, as it entered the game with a six-point lead over second-place Minot.
North Iowa (12-10-1) moved past idle Aberdeen into third place in the division.
Austin never led in Friday’s game, as the Bulls took a 1-0 lead 11:29 into the game on a Landon Peterson goal. The Bruins answered four minutes later on a power play, when Ocean Wallace and Jimmy Goffredo set up Josh Giuliani for his seventh goal of the season.
North Iowa’s Max Scott scored the lone goal of the second period to put the Bulls up 2-1.
ADVERTISEMENT
Eli Miller made it 3-1 in the Bulls favor with just less than five minutes to play in the third period, but Bruins’ veteran Austin Salani kept his team’s hopes alive by scoring with 1:27 to go.
That was it for the Bruins, though, as Mitch Day finished with 34 saves on 36 shots as Austin doubled up the Bulls in shots on goal, 36-17.
Ethan Robertson played the first 11:29, making 3 saves on 4 shots before leaving due to a lower-body injury. Trent Wiemken played the last 46:08, making 11 stops.
The Bruins and Bulls meet again at 7:10 p.m. Saturday at Mason City, Iowa.
BOX SCORE: North Iowa Bulls 3, Austin Bruins 2
