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Border Bruins split second season weekend

The Bruins have been playing a strong season so far.
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The Golden Rockets put up a tough first two periods, but the Bruins ultimately came out ahead on Saturday night winning the game 4-2. (Kathleen Saylors/Grand Forks Gazette)

By Gerry Foster for the Grand Forks Gazette

After losing a heartbreaker the previous evening to the Creston Valley Thunder Cats, the Grand Forks Border Bruins bounced back on Saturday with a 4-2 triumph over the Golden Rockets.

Golden’s Sam Rousseau opened the scoring for the visitors but the lead was short lived as Evan Loura scored his fourth goal of the young season on a power play with assists by Cole Kapak and Jordan Robertson. Last year Loura’s goal total was four in 37 games played so this is an encouraging offensive sign for the Bruins.

Nick Runnels gave the visitors a 2-1 lead, notching the only goal of the middle frame.

Early in the final period, Alex Skinner registered his second of the year on a nifty two on one with Nathan Cohen-Wallis. I spoke with Alex after the game and he said that goal was a relief.

“That goal was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders. We were pretty frustrated in the first and second periods,” he said.

With the Border Bruins shorthanded, Reese Tambellini scored what proved to be the game winner, set up by Trey Mason. Tambellini was named the game’s first star and thus far in this new season, he seems to be more focused and using his speed and size to become the scoring threat the Bruins need.

Defenceman and team captain Rylan Smaha-Muir scored an insurance marker for Grand Forks, blasting a shot from the point on a Bears’ power play. Tyler Loura was much sharper in the net for Grand Forks in his second start of the year. His team will need solid and consistent goaltending to once again make the playoffs.

The previous night at the Jack Goddard Memorial Arena it was a different story as the Bruins were outshot 51-23 by the Creston Valley Thunder Cats. They received outstanding goaltending from Ross King, as he almost singlehandedly won it for his team.

Grand Forks was clinging to a slim 2-1 lead late in the game but Creston Valley scored two quick goals in the final minutes for the 3-2 win.

It was the second solid game in the net for King this season. He is from Olds, Alta., and was on the roster of the Bruins last season but played in only three games. He had played in four games for the Princeton Posse of the KIJHL before being acquired by Grand Forks. Thankfully he remained with the team as he will be a key component going forward.

Decades ago there was a terrific goalie by the same name playing junior hockey for the Portage la Prairie Terriers in Manitoba. In 1942 Ross King led the Terriers to a Memorial Cup, emblematic of Canadian junior hockey supremacy. Might this be a hopeful sign for Bruins’ fans?

There were only four minor penalties handed out in this game by referee Ryan Blake, a low number for a KIJHL game.

Jordan Robertson of the Border Bruins leads the league in assists with eight. His teammate Trey Mason is right behind him with seven assists so far this season.

The Border Bruins will play their first road game of the season on Friday of this week when they visit the high-powered Castlegar Rebels. The Rebels have recorded 22 goals in their three games so far this season. One of those games, a 5-3 score over Golden, was defaulted as the Rebels played with an illegal roster. However, individual player stats in defaulted games are not altered.

Last season John Moeller led the league with 34 goals, and the 20-year-old has already scored five times for Castlegar this year.

The Bears return home the following night to host the Spokane Braves at 7 p.m. and then make their first visit to Spokane on Sunday afternoon.