The Bombers got off to a good start, and had several solid opportunities in tight around the Storm net, but Nick Peters kept it scoreless. The Storm would take a 1-0 lead in the back-half of the first, as Shaw Cathcart scored on a quick release from the left circle off a Grady Franklin set up. The Bombers earned a power play soon afterwards, but were penaliized 16 seconds into the advantage. The Storm would double their lead during the ensuing four-aside play, as Riley Billy took advantage of the open ice and walked into the deep slot and scored blocker side, with Nolan Corrado picking up the only assist at 16:33 of the period for a 2-0 Storm lead after one.
The score stayed that way into the late stages again of the second, when the Storm added to their lead off a draw in the Bomber end that saw Callum Tung make a great first save off Carter De Boer, but Mitchell Finner just bunted the rebound home to make it 3-0 Storm after 40 minutes, at 16:13 of the second. The Bombers would get on the board just a minute and change later, as Taylor Madsen put a low shot on net that was deflected by Aidan See and stopped, but Nathan MacDonald lifted home his team leading 23rd of the season from the side of the crease to make it a 3-1 game at 17:31 of the second.
The Bombers came out and pushed to start the third, and made it a 3-2 game at the four minute mark as Grayson Erickson picked up a loose puck and drove the net as Taylor Madsen took an awkward check. Erickson would tuck it home around the pad of Peters to make it a one-goal game. The Bombers would press, but couldn’t net the equalizer before a misplayed dump-in ended up in the sloy where Mitchell Finner fired it home before Callum Tung could recover to make it 4-2, unassisted at 16:41 of the third. The Storm would conclude the scoring with under two to play on the man advantage, as Riley Billy roofed his second of the game off a rebound with Kal Nagy drawing the only assist at 18:23 of the third to make it a 5-2 final.
Shots were 47-26 Storm, with Callum Tung and Nick Peters being the goalies of record. The Storm went 1 for 2 on the power play while the Bombers went 0 for 7.
The Bombers next see action Friday night when they host the Oceanside Generals.
Bombers battle hard, fall 5-2 to Storm
