The Bottineau/Rugby boys hockey team improved to 3-0 on the season with a pair of wins over Deloraine, Manitoba.

The Braves earned a high-scoring 10-8 win at Deloraine on Nov. 24 and followed that up with a 4-0 shutout in Bottineau on Nov. 27.

The game in Deloraine was tied entering the third period before Luke Amsbaugh exploded leading the way to a B/R win.

Amsbaugh scored the Braves’ first two goals and capped off a 5-goal period with his fourth goal of the game to seal the victory. Amsbaugh also had three assists.

Although the Braves’ offense was churning, head coach David Hoff said the defense was a different story altogether.

“It was an interesting game to say the least,” Hoff said. “I thought we moved the puck well, we just struggled defensively. I would like to see us play a little more up tempo in both ends of the ice. We have to put more pressure on teams.”

Five different Braves scored goals as Wyatt Johnson, Cody Longie, Cody Bedlion, Andrew Hill and Harrison Aide also found the net.

Aide continued to be the team’s top facilitator, dishing out five assists.

“We are pretty good when we possess the puck, but we need to work harder to get the puck,” Hoff said. “We have to pressure teams harder defensively as well, we can’t give them anything easy. Our bench is a little short right now so playing up tempo is more difficult but we can’t make excuses. We have to find ways to get it done.”

In the rematch in Bottineau, defense was not an issue for the Braves.

After saving 36 shots in the 10-8 win, goalie Riley Monson only needed to make 23 saves in earning the shutout.

B/R led just 1-0 entering the third period, but Braden Pewe scored on assists from Bedlion and Noah Grant and Aide rounded out the scoring with a pair of goals.

“I thought we had better play from a lot of guys in this game than we did when we played them up in Deloraine,” Hoff said. “Both goaltenders were pretty good in the game in Bottineau. I like our play when we have the puck. We really have to get better when we do not have it. We have to be more aggressive without the puck.”

The Braves play Dickinson at 3 p.m. in Bottineau on Saturday, Dec. 1.