The Austin Bruins didn’t complete their goal of making the postseason in their inaugural season, but they did set the framework for a team that could be successful in the near future.

The Bruins finished in fifth place in the six-team NAHL Central Division with a record of 23-31-4 overall, but they were 9-10 in their last 19 games and 21 of their losses were by two goals or less.

For a young team, that’s not too bad.

“A lot of the guys came a long way this season,” Bruins head coach Chris Tok said. “They learned how to play together and they learned how to win. You can’t play by yourself or what I call playing like high school hockey, because there are some good goalies in this league. They learned that.”

The Bruins struggled with Coulee Region the most, but they showed they can compete with the top teams in the Central Division at times when they hit their stride.

With a lot of players set to return next season, Tok feels hope is on the horizon.

“Next year, we’ve got to start out winning right out of the gate,” he said. “We’ll have the most guys back and our expectations will be to win the division.”

The Bruins drew some pretty big crowds in Riverside Arena this season and Tok is hoping their popularity will grow next season.

The biggest thing, he said, is for Austin to accept the Bruins as its own team.

“We’re really happy with how fans started coming, and they really got into the games by the end of the season,” he said.

The Bruins were also quite active in the community their first season and Tok would like to see more of that.

“It’s a huge focal point, because the team and the organization have to mix in with the community,” he said. “It’s their team and they’re a part of it.”