The bears are back – Bruins excited for home opener
Published 10:36 am Thursday, October 2, 2014
The crowd cheers after the Austin Bruins defeated Bismarck in Game 5 of the NAHL Central Division finals last year. Herald file photo
The Austin Bruins are coming home right where they finished last year: in first place in the Central Division.
But the Bruins, who host Aberdeen Friday and Saturday at Riverside Arena at 7:05 p.m., are a much different team from the veteran squad that played in the Robertson Cup Finals.
This year’s Bruins are younger and they’ve already shown Austin head coach Chris Tok how good they can be and how much they can struggle. Austin (5-1 overall) shined when it went 4-0 and won the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, but it was blanked 4-0 in Minot and edged out Bismarck 4-2 last weekend.
“We played pretty good and did some good things at the Showcase, and I was actually pretty excited with how they performed,” Tok said. “The way we performed in Minot and Bismarck was quite the opposite, and it’s almost like they took steps backwards.”
Tok said that he had to make a couple of changes with the team after the showcase and that may have rattled a couple of the younger players who aren’t used to changes being made after winning streaks. He said this group still has a lot of learning to do this season.
Early on, Austin has been led by NAHL veterans Brian Bachnak and Trevor Boyd, who both have seven points. Newcomers Nico Sturm and Josh Wilkins each have compiled six points.
Austin’s Trevor Boyd checks Fairbanks’ Jacob Hetz during the first period last season at Riverside Arena. Herald file photo
The Bruins pair of rookie goalies have held their own so far as Jake Kielly is 3-0 with a 93.1 save percentage and Zach Driscoll is 2-1 with an 88.9 save percentage.
“We know we’ve got to be patient with this group,” Tok said. “As long as they give effort and compete, we’ll be patient.”
The Bruins had a group of fans follow them up to the showcase to watch them take on Fairbanks, and the team is anxious to play in front of its home fans for the first time this season. The team’s rookies aren’t sure what to expect from the Austin crowd, but the veterans have assured them that the Bruins’ fans will be a positive force.
“Our guys are excited to play in front of our fans and to feel that vibe and energy,” Tok said. “We have great fans, but if we don’t compete our fans will let us know and that’s good for us.”
