IceDogs Season Highlight – 7-6 Comeback OTW vs. Windsor
NIAGARA, ON – This weeks edition of our Season Highlight series focuses on an electric early season game versus the Windsor Spitfires that featured a third period comeback, an overtime, and a five point night from one of our newly acquired players. A statement victory like that deserves to be revisited!
It was a Saturday night in Windsor; the Dogs had just come off of a 4-3 overtime loss against the Peterborough Petes in Niagara the night before, and had one thing in mind: leave Windsor with two points. It started off well, as Ryan Roobroeck opened the scoring midway through the first with his fourth on the season. The lead didn’t last long however, as Windsor answered back just under two minutes later. A goal from Andrew Vermeulen gave the IceDogs the lead once more, at least until the Spitfires tied it again with two minutes remaining in the frame. It was Niagara who got the last laugh in period one, as Daniil Sobolev scored his first in an IceDogs uniform to take the lead against his former team with 27 seconds remaining in the first.
The second period is where things got a bit messy. Liam Greentree scored on the power play just over a minute in, and the Spitfires added two more unanswered goals before the period was over. The Dogs were unable to capitalize on a Windsor penalty and ended up taking two of their own in the period, culminating in a 5-3 lead for the hometown team. Niagara knew they had some work to do if they wanted to salvage a point out of this one.
Starting a period on the penalty kill doesn’t usually end well, but for this IceDogs team it was quite the opposite; 27 seconds into the third, Mathieu Paris scored his first of the night shorthanded which brought the Dogs within one. Within 4 minutes, Windsor answered to bring their lead back to two goals and it was looking really grim for the IceDogs. As the clock continued its unstoppable pursuit of double zeros time was running out, and with it, the chance of salvaging at least one point on the road. Enter Mathieu Paris. With less than seven minutes remaining in the game, the first year IceDog scored his second goal of the game (and fourth point) to breathe some life into the squad. Energized by the goal the boys doubled down, peppering the Spitfires with eight shots in the final six minutes, for a total of seventeen(!) in the third period alone. With 2:14 showing on the clock Michael Podolioukh tied the game for the Dogs and sent this one to extra time!
With one point already guaranteed, the IceDogs entered the extra frame in good spirits and jumped out of the gate hot. It only took Gavin Bryant 1:13 of game time to net the winner and send Niagara home with two points and the win in an electrifying come from behind victory. Paris picked up an assist on the game winner for his career high FIFTH point of the game and was awarded second star for his efforts, as the team left the Rose City with the victory!