In what was a rollercoaster of a game that needed extra time, the Spruce Grove Saints defeated the Sherwood Park Crusaders by a final score of 7-6.
Ben Buckley opened the scoring to give the Saints an early 1-0 lead. However, one minute later, Joseph Sinclair returned fire and tied the game at one. Quincy Supprien then scored just past the halfway mark to give the Crusaders a 2-1 lead.
Tommy Coccaro scored a shorthanded goal to open up the second period and put Sherwood Park up 3-1. Scott Sandilands sniped one home soon after to bring the Saints within one and set the score at 3-2. Stevie Grumley then deflated the hope of Saints fans by scoring another shorthanded goal and restoring the Crusaders’ two-goal advantage.
The scoring for the third period was thrilling for the two teams. Joseph Sinclair scored early for the Crusaders to give them a dominating 5-2 lead. Less than a minute later, Tre Peck responded on the power play to bring the Saints within two. Gage Brandon then answered back on the power play to restore the Crusaders’ three-goal lead. With less than two minutes left, Carson Lloyd tapped one in to set the game at 6-4. Then, Brandon Funk scored to bring the Saints within one. With that goal came hope for Saints fans. Subsequently, Funk scored his second of the night with 1.2 seconds on the clock to tie the game at six and send it to overtime.
The fans were full of excitement and anxiety as overtime began. It did not take long for Felix Haibock to slip one past the Crusaders netminder and win the game 7-6!
Final Score: 7-6
Shots on Goal: 40-38 SGS
Three Stars:
- Brandon Funk
- Scott Sandilands
- Quincy Supprien
