Feature Story
Bandits’ spirits high after holidays
By Brian McDonough
Fresh off of the Christmas break, the St.
Louis Bandits showed no signs of a holiday hangover on their way to four wins
in five games last week to open the second half of the season.
“It was important that we got off to a
good start because our division is so tight and competitive right now,” said
Bandits head coach Jeff Brown, whose team improved to
The Bandits opened the post-Christmas
break with a pair of victories over the Topeka RoadRunners,
followed by two wins and a loss against the Wichita Falls Wildcats with
Sunday’s contest - a 6-0 Bandits shutout - showcased in front of over 5,000
fans at
“I just think our guys came back
refreshed and focused,” said Brown. “It would’ve been easy for them to have a
slow start coming off break, but they’ve come back and really showed that they
want to improve and make a nice run in the second half of the season.”
Andrew Hamburg wasted no time getting
back in the groove. The 19-year-old from
“He’s a high-end forward in this league
and has been an offensive leader for us with his consistency and timely
playmaking,” said Brown of the
In his first year with the Bandits,
goaltender Keith Kinkaid, a
“Keith has been very consistent for us,”
said Brown. “He’s been making the saves he should make and giving us a chance
to win every night.
“What separates Keith from a lot of
goaltenders is his work ethic and preparation, and we expect him to keep
playing solid hockey as the stretch run approaches.”
Defensively,
“Adding guys like Shawn and Danny gives
us stability on the blue line and also boosts our power-play unit,” said Brown.
Kris Reinthaler
has impressed on the backend all season long. The 20-year-old defenseman from
“Kris brings a wealth of experience and
skill to our defensive core,” said Brown. “He’s a vital piece to our puzzle and
we expect him to elevate his game even more in the second half.”
Neck-and-neck with Topeka for the top
spot in the South Division – both teams have 57 points with the RoadRunners holding three games in hand - the Bandits like
the cards they’re holding as the second half gets underway, but know they need
to continually stress improvement.
“It was a pretty good first half of the
season from our point of view,” said Brown, in his first season behind the
team’s bench. “We’re never satisfied, but we’re happy with the progress we’ve
made since the Showcase early in the season.
“Our players and coaches continue to have
the attitude that we still haven’t played our best hockey yet, so we need to
continue to work hard in practice and strive to get better.”
With that said, the two-time defending
Robertson Cup champion Bandits aren’t looking too far ahead in its quest for a
three-peat, especially in such a competitive division.
“We’re pleased with the development of
our players so far this season, but we have a lot of work to do before the
playoffs begin,” said Brown. “Our older players have been there when we’ve
needed them and we’ll continue to count on them in the second half right into
the playoffs.”
And continued success should translate
into plenty of college opportunities. With six selected to this month’s NAHL
Top Prospects Tournament - Kyle Greco, Brendan Sheehan, Tyler Elbrecht, Gorczyca, Jameson and Kinkaid - the Bandits will no doubt have good news to
report on the scholarship front in the coming weeks.
“We have a lot of guys getting attention
right now, and if we keep winning and guys keep producing, then hopefully the
college stuff takes care of itself,” said Brown.
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