Springing into contention: Bruins are closing in on first division title since 2015

Published 5:23 pm Friday, March 24, 2023

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With a playoff berth already clinched, the Austin Bruins are roaring to the finish line of the regular season as they hope to wrangle an NAHL Central Division title and go after the team’s first Robertson Cup Finals appearance since 2015.

It was also in 2015 that was the last time the Bruins captured the Central Division regular season crown and winning it is one of the main goals for the team, which also wants to hunt for a Robertson Cup title.

“The regular season is the regular season. You’ve got to punch your tickets to the playoffs and that’s all that matters,” Austin head coach Steve Howard said. “It’s nice to have home ice, but at the end of the day, the playoffs are a completely different season and we’ve got to prepare for that. The rest of the division has been playing playoff hockey for the past month because it’s so tight, and we’re trying to be ready for that.”

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There are seven games remaining in the regular season, and the Bruins (32-13-3-5 overall) are currently in first place in the NAHL Central with a 13-point lead on North Iowa and St. Cloud. Austin’s 72 points is third most in the entire NAHL, with the Oklahoma Warriors at the top of the pack with 83 points.

To be in the mix with the NAHL’s best is a big leap for a team that doesn’t have a lot of deep postseason experience. Bruins forward Walter Zacher recalled missing out on the playoffs completely in his first year with Austin, and he wants to make this postseason opportunity count.

“We’re making sure guys are held accountable every day at the rink and we’re keeping tabs on the details,” Zacher said. “Everyone gets along and there is no tension in the locker room at all. It’s one of the closer teams I’ve been on and it translates to success on the ice.”

Zacher, a forward who has committed to Robert University, is second on the team with 49 points and first on the team with 29 goals this season.

Zacher and plenty of the other Bruins now have their college commitments out of the way, which takes away the stress of trying to be noticed by college scouts.

“It helps me focus on one goal now,” Zacher said. “(Recruiting) is always a little bit of a distraction for a 20-year old, but now that it’s out of the way I can focus on the Robertson Cup and trying to win a championship.”

The Bruins will host the St. Cloud Norsemen at 7:05 p.m. Saturday. Austin’s last seven games of the regular season include three matchups with the Norsmen and four games with Minot before the playoffs begin in mid-April.

Austin is hoping to finish the season with a surge that will carry the team into a strong playoff push.

“I always tell the guys that it’s a good thing when you’re still going to the rink when it’s warm out,” Howard said. “We don’t want to think about golfing for going to the lake yet. That stuffs for the offseason and we don’t want that to come too soon.”