Boys Hockey: Roby’s 2 goals snaps Warriors 3-game losing streak

011221.S.BD.BrainerdvsAlexandriaHockey1.jpg — Brainerd's goalie Jed Klang watches as Eric Pohlkamp helps defend a shot from an Alexandria player Thursday, Feb. 11, at Essentia Health Sports Center in Brainerd. Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch

By Conrad Engstrom

February 11, 2021 at 9:37 PM

Riding a three-game losing streak, Brainerd returned to the comforts of Essentia Sports Health Center to snap it with a 3-1 win over the Class 1A’s ninth-ranked Alexandria Cardinals Thursday, Feb. 11.

“It’s nice to be home and in the last few years we’ve had a lot of road games so it was good,” Warriors head coach Dave Aus said. “I thought we started pretty well and then in the third I thought we were really good.”

Sophomore Max Roby scored two third-period goals as the Warriors dominated the final period outshooting the Cardinals 16-2.

Brainerd Boys Hockey vs Alexandria Gallery

“I told them that we needed to take the play to them and that’s exactly what we did,” Aus said. “We played well and I wish we could’ve got a couple more because we missed a couple chances.”

Roby’s first goal came just a minute and 18 second into the third. The Warriors started the third shorthanded after a holding penalty, but Alexandria got a minor penalty of its own to make a 4-on-4 situation.

Five seconds into the 4-on-4 Roby scored off Cole Mackcow and Aden Extrand assists.

“We came out in that third period and we knew we had to be stronger on pucks,” Roby said. “I just won the puck back on the faceoff and Extrand made a nice play and I put it five-hole.”

Aus has liked what he has seen from the Roby-Mackcow-Extrand line.

“We call that the white line with Roby, Mackcow and Extrand,” Aus said. “We have Extrand there really to be a role model on how to play, because he plays well.”

Roby’s second goal came off a John Finnegan pass that left Roby right in front with no one around him.

“If I didn’t bury that I would have nightmares for weeks, so it felt good to bury it,” Roby said.

Cade Villwock also picked up an assist on the goal, but the Finnegan pass impressed Aus.

“The pass by Finnegan was really good,” Aus said. “We were just talking about Finnegan that we had to get him more ice time and I thought he did a nice job tonight.”

Warriors goalie Jed Klang recorded 17 saves and allowed one lone Cardinals goal with 8:45 remaining in the third when Josiah Gronholz scored off an assist from Joe Lamski.

“We are going to give him the next three days because he’s had some injury issues,” Aus said of Klang. “Jed’s just been good and he’s a confident kid. I’m sure he wants the one back, but he made a couple of huge saves.”

Teagan Pfeffer tallied 29 saves for Alexandria.

The Warriors got on the board with 21 second left in the second period on a goal by Landon Mackcow. The goal followed an Alexandria breakaway which was broken up by Brainerd with a delayed penalty called.

The Cardinals, thinking the delayed call was on Brainerd, pulled their goalie leaving an empty net for Mackcow to give Brainerd a 1-0 cushion.

“I’ve never seen that before,” Aus said. “I’ve seen where the other team is on the man advantage and they throw it back and score on their own net. I don’t ever remember seeing a goalie come out like that. You feel bad for their guy, but you have to be aware of what’s happening out there.”

Brainerd started the game with a five-minute major penalty by Harrison Seymour a minute and 27 seconds into the first period to give Alexandria an opportunity to seize control.

The Cardinals were unable to capitalize on advantage and failed to register a shot while picking up a penalty of their own when the Warriors were even strength.

Alexandria struggled on the power play going 0-for-3 with the Warriors also going 0-for-3.

“I thought we outplayed them in the first,” Aus said. “The big thing was killing the five-minute power play, which was huge because it wears out their top end guys. I thought the kill was key tonight.”

Aus hopes to see the offense catch fire as the season continues.

“Defensively, we got to take care of our end,” he said. “If we take care of our end we will get more offense.”