Submitted photo Goalie Robert Dibble logged 34 saves against the May-Port Ice Dawgs last week.

The Bottineau-Rugby Braves met a team of May-Port Ice Dawgs in attack mode in Mayville last Friday and fell 2-8 after several attempts at a rally proved futile.

Braves top scorer Ian Amsbaugh attended the game but did not play.

However, Braves’ Coach Jesse Nostdahl placed more importance on how the game was played than who played that night.

“I think it’s just how we start hockey games,” Nostdahl said. “We’re not playing with urgency right away, and I thought the guys came out a little flat again.”

Nostdahl said May-Port “got some quick goals; some tip-ins, and we just didn’t have an answer. It wasn’t an ideal game.”

Packs of ‘Dawgs clustered in Braves territory from the start of the game. Forward Mitchell Coleman scored the first goal for May-Port 2:25 into the first period, assisted by Noah Mehus and Nicholas Dale. Just 21 seconds later, Mehus assisted forward Sam Satrom in another goal along with Sawyer Satrom. Forward Zach Kville topped the Ice Dawgs’ first period scoring drive with an unassisted goal under a minute later.

The Braves began the second period with more puck possession but the Ice Dawgs started up their aggressive play again, with goals from forward Jake Verwest (Dale assist) and Sam Satrom (unassisted) five and eight minutes in.

The Braves held the Ice Dawgs off enough for a goal from Jacob Shriver (assisted by Matt Olson and Adam Handeland).

The Ice Dawgs retaliated half a minute later with goals from Kville (Verwest assist), Dale (Sawyer Satrom and Melhus assisting) and Melhus (unsassisted).

The Braves turned up the heat in the third period, holding back the Ice Dawgs and clearing the way for another Olson goal, this time unassisted. The clock ran down to zero with an 8-2 Ice Dawgs victory, 34 saves for Braves goalie Robert Dibble and 24 saves for Ice Dawgs goalie Kade Susie.

Nostdahl said of the game, “I thought the last ten minutes in the first period, we were good. I thought for brief spells in the second, we were a good hockey team. I thought in the third period, we were fine. But I think we really have to look inward and really figure out how to get going.”

Five more away games are on the Braves’ schedule, with the Braves traveling to Jamestown and Mandan this weekend and Boissevain on Tuesday. Results for those games will appear in next week’s Tribune.