What a difference once week makes! After the prior game's victory, the Bombers hoped to bring an equally balanced attack to the rink once again versus the Red Dogs. However, unlike the prior game, where the Bombers exploded for 6 goals, a more confident Red Dog goalie yielded just one goal, to Bomber centerman Dave Bochner. Fortunately for the Bombers, goalie Josh Burke was more than up to the task, despite selecting a decidedly off-kilter net to tend twice.
The teams traded second period goals, with the Bombers striking first on the goal by Bochner. Jimmy Lawson and Seargant Dave Smith aided in Bochner's tally. In a tight and physical game, the Bombers saw their lead evaporate not even 3 minutes later, as a loose rebound proved costly. No other tally was recorded for either side, as the game headed to the shootout after three periods of 1-1 hockey.
The Bombers, already with a depleted roster as many of their regulars were either tending to injuries, or attending town council meetings, found themselves even further depleted after a series of questionable calls on sniper Jimmy Lawson led to his early departure. The league mandated ejection occurred after Lawson defended himself from the 'Goons' of the Red Dogs. A clearly perturbed Lawson was sent to the showers after a particularly weak tripping call led to a skirmish and secondary roughing call and a 10 minute misconduct. After his fifth penalty, he was done. Hurtling an empty water bottle towards the ice, Lawson could be heard saying, "You're a joke" to the Red Dogs as he left the ice with a minute to go in the second period.
Despite playing down a man, the Bombers managed to keep the tie intact, though were unable to breakthrough on the Red Dog keeper in the final frame. Josh Burke was equally defiant and the Bombers headed to the shootout.
In what amounted to the longest shootout of their season, the Bombers had plenty of chances to take home a victory over the Red Dogs. Shooting first, Jean Eric Hoyer fired a rising wrist shot over the outstretched glove of the Red Dog goalie to give the Bombers an early 1-0 lead in the shootout. The Red Dogs responded with a goal of their own before a parade of players attempted their shootout chance. Bomber after Bomber skated in on the Red Dog goalie with no success. The Red Dogs goalie's success was matched through 6 rounds by Bomber Goalie Josh Burke. In the fateful 6th round, Burke yielded though, giving the Red Dogs a 2-1 victory.
Later, Burke remarked, "They were dekeing to my right all shoot out long. That last guy just surprised me." A dejected Mike Gilbert Jr. after the game took issue with the almost pool-like ice surface. "In the first, we benefited a bit from the puck stopping (in the non-frozen water) on their rushes as they entered our zone. During that shootout, I had the puck roll of my stick, even though I had the guy beat".
Statistics:
Goal - Dave Bochner (2)
Assists - Jimmy Lawson, Dave Smith
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