After being edged out by the Castlegar Rebels on the road 2-1 on Jan. 22, the Grand Forks Border Bruins responded with a 7-4 win over the Revelstoke Grizzlies.
While the team saw an early 2-0 deficit, new Border Bruins’ goalie Kai McDonald stood firm and earned the win in his first start – he came from Coquitlam, B.C. and replaces Robert Dunsmuir, who returned to Ontario.
“I went in, got down 2-0 but I kind of had a feeling that we were coming back,” McDonald said after the win. “The tide was going to change. I’m just on top of the world right now.”
The team seemingly had a comfortable 5-2 lead in the third but a couple of Revelstoke goals, had the 240-person crowd at Grand Forks Arena feeling antsy. Fortunately, the home team scored a pair to seal the victory.
“I’ve always been taught just to let that stuff behind you, always regain your focus and I mean, we have a good group of guys here,” McDonald said when asked about the lapse. “They’re really working hard and they figured it out.”
The Border Bruins took all three of the Stars of the Game with Dakota Kittle taking first on the strength of four points (a goal and three assists), Brandon Savaia taking third (three assists) and Coleton Dawson taking second star with a pair of goals and an assist.
“The first one was a greasy, garbage goal, but you need those. I saw the puck and shoved it five-hole,” explained Dawson. “The second one, Kittle gave me a nice one at the top of the (faceoff) circle and I didn’t even look, I just got a shot nice and low.”
Border Bruins’ head coach and GM Nick Deschenes didn’t like that the team let the Grizzlies back in the game but was happy with how his team scored two goals after that.
“We were able to hold it together in the third,” Deschenes said. “My ideal third period is no goals against when you have the lead. We gave them a few but we responded well and I think this is a really young group and they’re really playing hard for each other. It’s nice to see and they’ve got a bit of an identity now.”
Community Futures Boundary sponsored Friday’s home game and all in attendance got in for free.
The team lost a close one to the Nelson Leafs the following night in Nelson by a final of 4-2.
Jacob Jeske and Jackson Purvis scored for the Border Bruins vs. the Leafs, while Dominic Stadnyk made 37 saves on 40 shots. The Leafs scored an empty-netter with 43 seconds left.