Third Period Heroics Put Bombers One Game Away from the Championship

With just four seconds left in the game, Bombers wingman, #27, Jean Eric Hoyer, was able to slide the puck through the five-hole of the Shamrocks’ goaltender, lifting the organization to a thrilling win last night in Flemington. The victory puts the Bombers one win away from raising the Cup at the Aspen Ice Arena and ties the organization’s record for consecutive wins at eight.

Neck and neck the entire game, the Shamrocks took 2-1 first period lead.  The Bombers would counter in the second to tie it only to fall behind again off a breakaway goal to give the Shamrocks another 1 goal lead.  Down 3-2 entering period three the excitement level would go to eleven in the final stanza. 

The Bombers’ comeback would begin with one of the best penalty kills the organization has put forth the entire season and in recent history.  When Bomber captain Bill Auld, who channeled his inner “Tim” with 4 PIMS on the evening,  took a minor penalty on an accidental high stick,  his team would rally to shut down the Shamrocks’ forwards keeping scoring chances to a minimum. The kill would be highlighted by Bomber rookie defenseman, Rob Pellegrino, who put the pressure on and netted a short-handed goal that would again tie the game, making it 3-3 halfway through the final period.

“I just kept the wheels going,” said Pellegrino. “You can’t make it this far into the playoffs and not give it 110%. I saw a play developing when the puck found Campbell’s tape – I took off and he put the puck exactly where I needed it. I kept it low and hard which I think threw Paster off. It was a great feeling and a much needed goal.”

The Bomber penalty would expire and the teams would again launch into a two-way battle to try and grab the critical game one victory. There were scoring chances both ways, with posts rung on both ends, but as the period continued to whittle away, both benches were beginning to prepare mentally for an OT contest, that was until about ten seconds left in the game when a play developed in the Bombers’ end.

“Everyone wants to be in the position to win the game, but you can’t let that cloud your judgement,” said Hoyer, #27. “You need to think clearly – not matter how intense the game may be - you need to think about making the right play. That’s something each man on the ice did those last few seconds. We opened up their defense just enough to allow me to take a pass and drive to the net. In what seemed like slow motion, I saw Paster’s pads open up just enough – it was in that split second I knew where the puck needed to go. It wasn’t until I looked up at the scoreboard that I realized just how close we were to OT.”

Game 2 and 3 of the 2015 AIAHL Federal League Winter Playoffs are Saturday and Sunday night.

State Electric Power Performers of the Game:

#1 - Eric Hoyer, 2G (GWG)

#2 - Rob Pellegrino,  1G (SH) / 1A

#29 - Josh Burke