Two goals by team leading scorer Kylar Garsjo was not enough as the Butte Cobras dropped their final game before the holiday break on Friday to the visiting Missoula Jr. Bruins 5-3. The team will return to action on New Year’s Eve.
First period goals from Austin Franck and Liam Bland has Missoula leading late in the session before Garsjo got the Cobras on the board. The goal, assisted by Robin Bagley and Blake Nichols, came with just :28 remaining before intermission.
That momentum did not carry forward though as the Jr. Bruins pounded goaltender Skyler Coard with 21 shots in the second scoring three times to make the score 5-1. Coard faced 38 shots in 40 minutes before being relieved in the third by Joey Wilson.
🚨 Butte goal! Nick Bradshaw feeds a perfect pass to Riley Austin who buries the puck in the back of the net! https://t.co/5vKIdBCW0a #NA3HL pic.twitter.com/lY7mKK7Xan
— Butte Cobras (@Butte_Cobras) December 19, 2020
Midway through the final frame Butte mounted a comeback. Riley Austin scored his first of the season after a perfect setup by Nick Bradshaw. Garsjo added his second at 10:09 making it 5-3, but three penalties in the final seven minutes narrowed the Cobras opportunities. Butte would pull Wilson for much of the final two minutes, but came up short.
Joey Wilson stopped all 17 shots faced in the final period, when the Jr. Bruins outshot the Cobras 17-13. Missoula had 55 shots on net in the game compared to 32 by Butte.