Rochester forward Adam Gionta scored with fifty-two seconds remaining in overtime to give the visiting Jr. Americans a 4 – 3 win over the Rebels. Philadelphia was trailing 3 – 1 with just over five minutes left in the final period when Charles Panchisin and Billy Sheridan lit the lamp to even the score and send the contest into overtime.
It was an overall valiant team effort in which netminder Beau Lane came in relief of Owen Crudale to keep the Rebels in the game and gave them a chance to win and earn the point in the standings. Brock Jones and Panchisin each had a two-point game.
The Jr. Americans’ Hugo Branthsson opened the scoring at 5:46 into the first period. Branthsson picked up the loose puck in the Rebels far side corner and made a pass to Owen King at the top of the circle. King tried to get a shot away but the puck rolled loose and Branthsson was to King’s left and knocked in the puck past Crudale to make it a 1 – 0 game.
King was called for tripping with 4:16 left in the first. A minute later Thomas Neu evened the score at one. Caesar Björk brought the puck into the offensive zone along the near side boards. As he reached the half wall, he threw a shot on net that was saved by Rochester netminder Danick Leroux but Leroux couldn’t control the rebound and the puck was knocked into the net by Neu from the doorstep for Neu’s fourth goal of the season.
Rochester regained the lead with fifty-six seconds remining in the first. With play in the Rebels near side corner, the puck went back to Jordin Palmer at the point. Palmer slowly started to walk the line and took a wrister that found its way through a screen and past Crudale to make it a 2 – 1 game.
Nicholas Reif gave the Jr. Americans a two-goal lead just forty seconds into the middle stanza. King picked up the loose puck at center ice along the near side boards and brought it into the offensive zone. As King gained the line, he stopped and sent a cross-ice pass to Reif at the top of the slot. Reif stepped up and took a wrist shot that beat Crudale high, glove side for Reif’s first of the season. Lane then replaced Crudale between the pipes.
As time was winding down in the contest, Panchisin cut the Rebels deficit in half. With play inside the Rochester zone, Luke Janviriya kept the puck just inside the offensive end at the top of the point. Janviriya went to make a pass to a seem on his right and the biscuit was picked up by Jones who did a 180 degree turn and threw the puck on net that was redirected by Panchisin out front and past Leroux to make it a 3 – 2 game. It was Panchisin’s team high seventh goal of the season.
With Lane pulled for the extra attacker, Sheridan evened the score at three with fifty-nine seconds remaining in the game. As Björk looked to setup, he sent a pass from the far side half wall back to the point to Panchisin who took a one-timer from the point that was saved Leroux but he couldn’t control the rebound with Jones on the porch and the puck squirted to Leroux’s right and directly to Sheridan who knocked the biscuit in the open net for Sheridan’s fifth of the season forcing the game into overtime.
Both teams had their chances in the extra period but Lane and Leroux had to made several key saves to continue the game. Björk was called for interference with 2:18 left in OT to give the Jr. Americans the man advantage. Playing four-on-three hockey and time winding down in the extra period, Rochester had the puck inside the offensive zone. King setup the play at the far side half wall and sent the biscuit back to Alex Zakrzewski at the point. Zakrewski passed the puck to Gionta on his right. Gionta, who was just inside the near side faceoff circle, waited and then took a wrist shot that beat Lane high glove side to give the Jr. Americans the win.
Crudale and Lane combined to stop 32 of 36 shots (Lane stopped 22 of 23) while Leroux turned aside 23 of 26. Click HERE for the complete box score.
