THUNDER BAY – Cody Bruchkowski had no idea when he left the Brockville Braves last fall that by March he'd be leading the nation in goals.
The Thunder Bay North Stars forward added three more on Friday night, though his team needed an Alex Erwin goal in the final minute of overtime to pull out a 6-5 win over the Fort Frances Lakers, the win guaranteeing the defending Superior International Junior Hockey League champions a first-round bye.
A win on Saturday night in the second half of the home-and-home set earns the Stars the regular season title and home ice throughout the playoffs.
Bruchkowski, whose final goal of the night drew the North Stars even at four goals apeice just 1:45 into the middle frame, said when he arrived back with the North Stars, he told the team he was a goal scorer.
He's lived up to his words.
The 20-year-old, honoured with a number of soon-to-graduate teammates before the Fort William Gardens contest began, has multiple goals in four of his last outings, has scored at least once in 13 of 15, a stretch in which he's scored 22 times.
“Coming into this year, it didn't matter where I was going to play or anything,” said Bruchkowski, who spent two seasons with the Yorkton Terriers before joining the Braves for a seven-game stint to start the 2019-20 campaign.
“I had big expecations for myself. Luckily enough pucks have been going my way/ But saying that, I'm shooting the puck a whole lot more. Pucks are going in, the guys are winning and the guys love it, so it's great. I play with good guys night in and night out, so they give me a big hand as well.”
His three-goal effort helped him pass Chris Bryson for third-most goals in a season in SIJHL history, trailing Bryce Young, who scored 60 for Red Lake last season, and Kory McEwan, who had 69 for the Fort William North Stars in 2005-06.
Coach Rob DeGagne said it's easy to take Bruchkowski, the overwhelming MVP favourite, for granted.
“You kind of forget, because he just does it every game ... This is something special to watch. If you haven't come and seen this kid, he can fire the puck and with just a little bit of an opportunity and it's in the net.”
Bruchkowski wasn't the only sniper sniping on Friday night.
Fort Frances forward Tyler Malpass matched his opponent's output, scoring three goals of his own, including a pair in a seven-goal first period that saw the two teams trade goals in less than a minute on three separate occasions, the Lakers eventually escaping with a 4-3 lead.
Nicholas Campbell opened the scoring on the power play, beating Dean Buchholz at the 3:03 mark. Maplass got it back 29 seconds later and Nakoda Thunderchief put the Lakers in front just past the midway point of the period -only to have Bruchkowski knot the score 49 seconds afterward.
Peyton Hughes made it 3-2 Fort Frances with 4:44 to go in the period, to chase Thunder Bay starter Seth McKay, then Bruchkowski and Malpass traded goals to end the frame, the Lakers leading by one.
Bruchkowski evened the game again 1:45 into the second, taking a backdoor pass form Jacob Anttonen for the only goal of the period.
Joel Willan needed only nine seconds to put the Stars ahead 5-4 to start the third, but with Bucchholz on the bench, Malpass evened thing one final time with 22.6 seconds left in regulation, stuffing it pact Dylan Kosik.
Erwin had the final say, however, in overtime.
“It was kind of sitting behind the net and I just tried to throw it out in front and it ended up going off his pad and in.”
The Stars improved to 34-15-3, while the Lakers dropped to 19-28-5.
