New Hampshire’s Jack MacDonald scored his second goal of the game with :47.5 seconds remaining to lead the Mountain Kings to a 3 – 2 win over the visiting Rebels in game one of this very important two-game series.
With the loss, the Rebels now trail the Mountain Kings by seven points for the sixth and final playoff spot. This was the third time this season that New Hampshire came back in the third period to defeat the Rebels.
The Mountain Kings had two, first period goals called back. After the first goal was waived off, New Hampshire’s Oli Genest scored with eight minutes remaining in the opening period but that goal was overturned by the officiating. Ironically, a minute later, Ruslan Jamaldinov scored with 7:06 left in the first to give the Rebels a 1 – 0 lead. After Ryan Bunting brought the puck into the offensive zone, he passed the puck to Billy Sheridan on his right. As Sheridan went around one defender at the near side half wall, he made a centering pass out front to Jamaldinov who redirected the biscuit up and over New Hampshire’s fallen netminder Sam Caulfield for Jamaldinov’s 15th goal of the season.
After a scoreless second period, New Hampshire’s Thomas Quast evened the score at one at 5:45 into the third period. As the Mountain Kings’ Rogiero Cacciarelli gained the offensive line along the near side boards, he made a drop pass to MacDonald who made a cross-ice pass to Tanner Anctil. Anctil immediately made a touch pass to Quast at the top of the slot, and Quast took a wrister that beat Rebels goalie Owen Crudale for Quast’s seventh goal of the season.
With 9:18 remaining in the game, New Hampshire’s Rhett Kodsi was called for cross-checking to give the Rebels the man advantage. A minute later Billy Sheridan gave the Rebels their second lead of the night. After Luke Janviriya’s shot from just inside the near side faceoff circle was blocked, the puck went to Bunting by the boards. Bunting skated towards the bottom of the faceoff circle and took a shot that was blocked out front but the rebound came right out to Sheridan in the slot and he put the biscuit into the back of the net for his eleventh goal of the season.
MacDonald scored his first goal of the game with 5:49 remaining in the third to tie the contest at two. After MacDonald gained the line, he took a shot that was saved by Crudale but the rebound came out to MacDonald who took a backhanded shot that beat Crudale blocker side.
Bunting was called for a double minor for tripping with three minutes remaining in the game to give the Mountain Kings the man advantage. With the clock now under a minute, New Hampshire’s Jaden Davis started the play at the top of the slot and passed it over to a breaking Quast. Quest took a clapper from the top of the far side faceoff circle that was blocked by Crudale but the rebound came right out to MacDonald in the slot and MacDonald buried it into the back of the net to win the game.
Crudale stopped 23 of 26 shots while Caulfield turned aside 30 of 32. Click HERE for the complete box score.