Marihart's
hat-trick helps Stingers defeat
Youngbloods in Shootouts
Stingers still unbeaten in regulation
By Neil Parkin
Coming
into this game the Stingers and
Youngbloods were tied in first place in
the league standings, so it was to be
expected that it would be a tight, hard
fought, and contentious contest. That
turned out to be the case, with 8 (including
4 roughing) penalties called, and the
Stingers prevailing in a shootout after
playing to a 5-5 tie in regulation and a
scoreless overtime period.
The
Youngbloods opened the scoring 5 minutes
into the first period on the power play,
with Joe Balan and sub Will Mitchell
assisting on the first of 2 goals by
Andrew Till. But the Stingers tied it up
5 minutes later on a slap shot from the
high slot by captain Neil Parkin ("lucky
shot", he was heard to say on the
bench). The Stingers followed up with a
natural hat-trick from James Marihart,
including one unassisted beauty, while
the Youngbloods scored twice more - Pat
Weiher on an improbable backhander from
close range into the top shelf, and Larry
Waxman with an unassisted goal
capitalizing on a defensive error by the
Stingers.
The
Stingers led 5-3 into the third period
after a goal by Mark Allen, but the
Youngbloods tied it with goals by Joe
Balan and Andrew Till. The overtime
period was marked by 3 penalties and
quality scoring chances but the goalies
kept the pucks out of the net (Mark
Fassett made one incredible save to
preserve the tie.
In
the shootout, with Keith Taylor and Joe
Balan in the penalty box and so unable to
participate in the shootout, Larry Waxman
opened with a goal, but consecutive
tallies by David Cunningham, James
Marihart, and Neil Parkin were enough to
win the game after Andrew Till and Jack
Regan were unable to convert. After the
game at the bar, Balan drowned his
sorrows and was overheard quipping:
"I don't care that we lost, 'cause I'm
the man from Nantucket".
|
