PHOTO: James Maclennan
The Spruce Grove Saints saw their 2025-26 season come to a close on Wednesday night, dropping a 9-3 decision to the Brooks Bandits and being swept out of their Interior East Division Semi-Final series 4-0.
Brooks wasted no time setting the tone, opening the scoring just 1:45 into the first period as Jack Rosensteel buried his fourth of the season off a setup from Mathis Dufour and Francois De Villiers. The Bandits carried that momentum into the second period, where the game quickly broke open.
Francois De Villiers doubled the lead early in the middle frame, sparking an offensive surge that saw Brooks score five goals in the period. Dufour, Harry Ahlberg, Rosensteel, and Zachary Deleau all found the back of the net in a relentless stretch, with Dmitrijs Dilevka orchestrating much of the attack. Dilevka’s playmaking stood out, as he piled up multiple assists and drove the Bandits’ transition game.
The Saints managed to get on the board late in the second period thanks to Declan Waddick, but the damage had already been done, as Brooks carried a commanding lead into the third.
In the final frame, the Bandits continued to press. Dilevka scored twice, while Dufour added his second of the night, capping off a multi-point performance for both players. Waddick struck again for Spruce Grove with his second goal, and Tre Peck added a late tally, but it wasn’t enough to shift momentum.
Special teams also played a role, highlighted by Dilevka’s power-play goal midway through the third period following a major penalty assessed to Spruce Grove.
In goal, Zach Zahara turned aside 23 of 26 shots to earn the win for Brooks. The Saints split duties between Ryan De Kok and Finn Marshall, who combined for 22 saves but faced consistent pressure from the Bandits’ attack.
