By: Andy Zilch, Bloomington Bison
Bloomington, Ill. – The Bloomington Bison defeated the Utah Grizzles by a 4-1 score to extend their winning streak to four games on Saturday night at Grossinger Motors Arena.
In the first period, the Bison successfully completed two penalty kills, which kept the game scoreless. 5:50 into the game, the Bison saw a powerplay but failed to capitalize on the man advantage. With :54 left in the opening frame, Jared Westcott found Patrick Bajkov in the slot for his fourth of the season, giving the Bison a 1-0 lead. Brett Budgell also assisted to extend his point streak to six games.
The Bison kept momentum in the second period during a powerplay as Connor Lockhart scored on a slapshot at 7:05. Chongmin Lee and Case McCarthy assisted Lockhart’s eighth of the season. At 9:49, the Bison extended their lead as Eddie Matsushima stuffed the puck past Vinny Duplessis for his 15th of the season. Gavin Gould and Lee assisted Matsushima’s goal. The Bison completed three penalty kills within the frame and closed the period leading 3-0.
The Grizzlies answered early in the third as Craig Armstrong scored on a wrist shot at 3:52. Armstrong’s fifth of the season was assisted by Adam Berg, making it a two-goal game. To seal the victory over the Grizzlies, Budgell scored an empty-net goal at 19:34. His 11th of the season was assisted by Matsushima and Bryce Montgomery, finalizing a 4-1 win for the Bison.
Brian Wilson secured the win in his Bison debut, making 22 saves on 23 shots. Duplessis made 18 saves on 22 shots in the loss. The Bison went 1-for-3 on the powerplay, and the penalty kill went 3-for-3.
Tomorrow, the Bison play at 3 p.m. at Grossinger Motors Arena, featuring Sunday Family Fun Day, where KIDS EAT FREE with a voucher for a hot dog, chips, soda, and cookie. Following the final horn, all fans are welcome to join the Bison players for a post-game skate and autograph session. Single-game pricing starts as low as $20! Group pricing with benefits and suite options are also available. Visit bloomingtonbisonhockey.com or call (309) 965-HERD for more information.
