By Brian Tosti- Bloomington Thunder
BLOOMINGTON- The Bloomington Thunder (6-5-1) fell early to the Dubuque Fighting Saints (8-3-0), but forced the game into overtime with a three-goal comeback on Saturday afternoon. Logan Lambdin netted the game-tying goal with just over seven minutes to play in the afternoon Halloween game. The Thunder special teams helped them to gain a point in the standings, going 2-for-5 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill, with a shorthanded goal.
The chances in the first period for the Fighting Saints were limited, but they seemed to cash in on every one. With just six shots in the first, Dubuque found the back of the net three times. Petter Makitalo opened the scoring with a shot that snuck through six minutes into the game. 23 seconds later, it was 2-0 as Jakob Romo (Arizona State University) scored his first of the season on a back door one timer.
The end of the night for goaltender Hayden Lavigne (University of Michigan) would come about 10 minutes into the first period when Michael O’Leary (Cornell University) netted a short-side shot on the Thunder goaltender. Logan Halladay entered the game down 3-0 but gave the Thunder a chance to rally with 18 saves in relief, including two in overtime.
Tarek Baker (University of Minnesota) picked up an unassisted shorthanded goal at the 14-minute mark of the first to put the team on the board. He stripped Nathan Sucese (Penn State University) and walked in for a small breakaway on Hunter Miska (University of Minnesota-Duluth) before putting in his third of the season. The goal gave the Thunder momentum in the game and put wind back underneath their feet.
The second period was scoreless until the final five seconds of the period when Blake Gober tallied a power play goal. He walked in and fired his fourth of the season to bring the game within one. Despite the one goal and only six shots in the period, the Thunder had two plays ruled no goal due to incidental goaltender contact and a save by Miska on the goal line.
In the third, Lambdin would net his game-tying goal on the power play. Moments before, the forward’s shot went over the net before coming into the zone, beating the defender and the goaltender. It was his fourth of the season and was one of 24 shots in the game.
Dubuque has experience in the extra period, with a 3-0-0 record entering the game tonight. Bloomington had their first taste of overtime this season and were unable to get a shot on net. Keegan Ford (Michigan Tech) netted his team high fifth goal of the season to win it in overtime. Miska ended the night with his league high seventh win and 21 stops.
The Thunder will take on the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders at the U.S. Cellular Coliseum on Friday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m.
