Sports

Firebirds burn Braves

By Staff reports

12/02/2014

DEVILS LAKE - Bottineau-Rugby (B-R) hockey head coach David Hoff went into last Tuesday’s season-opener at Devils Lake with heavily-guarded optimism.

Every new season brings with it a sense of hope, and the Braves had that to hold onto at Burdick Arena. Hoff also knew that his team was very young and understaffed, though, and he knew that B-R’s short bench could cause problems.

It did.

B-R was missing three players - two of them seniors - on Tuesday against Devils Lake and dressed 10 underclassmen. The more experienced Firebirds took advantage of this by jumping out to an early 5-1 lead before cruising to a 10-5 win.

The Braves were on the back foot almost immediately on Tuesday. Firebirds forward Jordan Swanson beat B-R goaltender Ethan Clements 63 seconds into the game, and Devils Lake scored another four goals before the first period ended.

B-R made inroads back into the game in the final two frames. The Braves couldn’t stop the bleeding, though, and the Firebirds rode to a comfortable win.

“Some of the concerns I had maybe played out a little bit,” Hoff said. “We struggled a little bit probably as a team defensively and made it a little bit too easy for Devils Lake to score. 

“We got ourselves into a little bit of a hole early, but I liked some of what I saw from our younger kids. We got better in some spots as the game wore on, and they’re only going to get better if they play, so in that sense I’m happy. 

“I would’ve liked to have gotten out of there having given up a few less goals to give ourselves a little better of a chance,” Hoff continued, “But that’s not the way it worked out.”

B-R forward Noah Grant, one of only two seniors that dressed for the Braves on Tuesday, scored his team’s first goal of the season 8:10 into the game. That cut Devils Lake’s lead to 2-1 2:15 after Logan Kraft’s first of two goals on the night put the Firebirds up 2-0.

Devils Lake responded to Grant’s tally with three unanswered goals. The Firebirds then kept the hammer down by beating Clements four more times in the second period and once again in the third.

Clements, the Braves’ junior goaltender from Rugby, faced on Tuesday what can only be described as a trial by fire. 

He acquitted himself well in his first game as B-R’s No. 1 goaltender by making 42 saves. 

That’s usually more than enough to backstop a hockey team to a win. Four of the Braves’ five available defensemen on Tuesday were underclassmen, however, and that youth and lack of numbers spelled doom for the Braves.

Hoff said before the season began that B-R would need its veterans to hold down the fort until the newcomers get up to speed. At least to a certain degree, that’s exactly what happened on Tuesday.

Grant and fellow senior forward Luke Amsbaugh both finished the game with two goals and two assists. Amsbaugh picked up assists on both of Grant’s tallies, and Grant returned the favor on Amsbaugh’s second goal in the third period.

In what was a fairly well-disciplined game with only five penalties called, the Braves went 1-for-3 on the power play.

Grant’s first goal of the night 11:50 into the game came on the man advantage, and Amsbaugh’s third-period goal came while B-R was shorthanded.

The Braves arguably did betterthan Devils Lake on special teams. The Firebirds finished the game 1-for-2 on the power play and conceded a shorthanded marker.

Two of Devils Lake’s three goaltenders saw playing time on Tuesday. Senior Holden Kurtz started between the pipes for the Firebirds before head coach Jens Stokke pulled him in favor of sophomore Wyatt Ness in the second period.

Jamestown and Dickinson will visit B-R in Bottineau this Friday and Saturday.