Sports

Braves lock up four seed as regular season ends

By Bottineau Courant Staff

02/11/2014

Entering the final weekend of the regular season there were still a lot of uncertainties for the Bottineau-Rugby Braves, and where they would end up in the standings.

The Braves had three games left, and they were all against teams that could wind up ahead or behind them in the standings.

Win all three games, and the Braves would be the number two seed. Lose all three, and be the fifth seed.

However, neither of those scenarios played out as the Braves fell to Minot and Jamestown, but won a 7-6 score fest over Bismarck Century to finish in fourth place.

It all began last Thursday as the Braves fell 7-3 to the Minot Magicians in Minot.

The win avenged a 9-6 BR victory in Bottineau back on Jan. 20.
Minot got out to a quick lead as scoring leaders Matt Flom and Quinn Fuchs delivered to help the Magicians score three times in the opening period.

Cody Bedlion found pay dirt in the first period as well to keep the Braves within striking distance. Luke Amsbaugh assisted on the play.

Minot added three more goals in the second period, but the Braves hung around with a pair of their own. One came from Amsbaugh as he scored unassisted at 6:37 in the second. The other was Bedlion’s second of the night on passes from Amsbaugh and Noah Grant to draw the Braves within three goals.

However, the Magicians held the Braves scoreless in the final period and Fuchs earned his third point of the night with a goal to put the game away.

BR’s senior star Harrison Aide was held without a point in the contest, which wrapped up the second seed for Minot, and forced the Braves to only be able to finish in either third, fourth or fifth.

The possibility for the third seed still lived on for the Braves as they were able to earn a 7-6 win over Bismarck Century last Friday night in front of a packed home crowd.

The win avenged a 4-3 overtime loss that the Braves suffered against the Patriots early in the season.

Aide regained his form in the game as he struck first blood with a goal at 14:17 of the first period. Amsbaugh and Grant earned assists on the play.

After two Century goals put the Braves behind, Bedlion continued his strong play with a goal thanks to a nifty pass from Amsbaugh in front of the net. Aide was also credited with an assist in the game-tying goal.

Before the period ended BR took the lead as Bedlion found the back of the net for the second time. Sophomore Austyn Lorenz assisted on the goal to put the Braves ahead.

In the second the Patriots tied the game once again, but a little more than a minute later and the Braves regained the lead on an Aide goal. Amsbaugh earned his third helper of the night on the play.

Century would tie the game up with 38 seconds left in the second period with a Chris Brown goal.

However, BR would come out hot in the final period as they kick started the scoring of three third period goals with a power play goal from Andrew Hill. Amsbaugh assisted, his fourth of the game.

Hill helped the Braves extend their lead to 7-4 after assisting on an Aide goal later in the period, and then scoring another of his own at 5:35 of the final frame, unassisted.

BR fans got a little scare as the Patriots scored twice in the final four minutes to draw within one, but the Braves hung on for a tight 7-6 victory. One of the final tallies for the Patriots came from Alex Flicek, who had a hat trick in the win.

Aide finished with three goals and an assist for BR.

Senior Riley Monson had 37 saves in 43 opportunities for Bottineau, who was out shot 43-35.

The win secured at worst a four seed for the Braves, but a shot at the third seed still existed if they could travel to Jamestown and win in a make up game.

However, it was Bottineau’s third game in three days, and fatigue set in, as the Braves fell 7-3 to the Blue Jays.

The loss means that BR gets the fourth seed, while the Jays stay as the fifth seed.

In the Saturday game the Braves gave up three power play goals, and a short-handed goal to the Blue Jays.

However, three even strength goals in the first period gave the Jays the lead early.

Aide tickled the twine in the first period for BR’s lone opening period goal. Hill and Grant were credited with assists.

Amsbaugh cut the lead to one 3:17 into the second period. Aide assisted on the goal, but that would be as close as the Braves would get.

Austin Rene and Brandon Stahlhut would both score their second goals of the game, and both goals came on special teams to put Jamestown up 5-2.

Bedlion scored his fifth goal in three days late in the third period on passes from Amsbaugh and Aide, but it was too little too late for BR.

Jamestown added a power play goal with 31 seconds left to clinch the victory.

BR narrowly out shot Jamestown 36-34 as Monson stopped 27 shots.

Both teams spent 25 minutes in the penalty box, but Jamestown went 3-for-5 on the power play,and had a short-handed goal. BR was 2-for-5 with the man advantage.

The two teams will face each other again in the second game of the day on Thursday’s opening round of the West Region Tournament.

BR must win two of three games in the tournament to advance to state.

The Braves finished the regular season with a 13-8 overall record and a 10-5 record against West Region opponents.