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Grand Forks not your typical division doormat

The Grand Forks Border Bruins nearly beat the Nelson Junior Leafs when they met last week. But head coach Chris Shaw says he doesn’t plan on giving the Bruins the revenge they’re looking for when the two teams tangle Thursday.
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Grand Forks has battled hard against the Leafs recently.

The Grand Forks Border Bruins nearly beat the Nelson Junior Leafs when they met last week. But head coach Chris Shaw says he doesn’t plan on giving the Bruins the revenge they’re looking for when the two teams tangle Thursday.

“We’ve talked about how Grand Forks never gives up, and you have to really compete against them for the entire 60 minutes, and I think that’s what we’re bringing back to the table going into Grand Forks,” says Shaw.

The Bruins nearly pulled ahead of the Leafs last Wednesday, rallying in second and third and leaving the final score 5-4. They did the same on their next outing against the Spokane Braves, with a 4-3 loss.

“It’s just something we have to adjust with our boys,” says Shaw. “I completely think that [Grand Forks head coach Jesse Dorrans] had that team progress and he’s done a really good job with them. This team is a much better team than what they had last year, and they made some pretty good acquisitions.”

The game will see goaltender Marcus Beesley get some backup for the first time in several games, in the form of emergency relief player Brandon Amatto. Hailing from Spokane, Amatto played in the NAHL last season for the Texas Tornados.

Regular goalie Darren Hogg is still out nursing a lower body injury, though Shaw says he’s expecting him back in two to three weeks.

Leafs leading scorer Gavin Currie is also out again due to an upper body injury. He’s also expected back in about two weeks.

With both players headed back, Shaw says there’s a confidence boost for his team on the way in the near future.

“It’s a pretty exciting thought to see what Gavin Currie and Dustin Johnson can do on a line together,” he adds, referring to the Leafs’ BCHL acquisition, who’s picked up six goals in his first five appearances.