WOLVES PREMIER WINS 6-5 OVERTIME THRILLER OVER WALPOLE EXPRESS
The Wolves EHL Premier team went into break on a high note with a big 6-5 overtime victory over Walpole Saturday night at Rodman Arena, Walpole. The game was a high tempo back and forth affair throughout with the Wolves prevailing when Andrew Olevitz drilled a one-timer home on a 4 on 3 power play 22 seconds into overtime.
The visiting Wolves started fast in this one and swarmed the Express end but were being denied by Express goalie Connor Rodericks before Alex Sauer took a feed from Andrew Olevitz and sprinted past the defense to score on a slick deke move and give his club a 1-0 lead at 8:16 of the 1st period. Goaltender Kurt Gutting picked up the 2nd assist on the play by making a strong breakout pass to Olevitz. The Wolves continued to press and made it 2-0 at 11:24. After some strong forechecking, Chris Peters slid a pass to Joe Flanagan who fired a low hard shot that Rodericks stopped, but Andrew Lee was standing on the doorstep and drove the rebound home for a 2-0 lead. The talented Express were not going away lightly and when the Wolves got into penalty trouble the home team cashed in for consecutive power play goals by Eric Lipa at 13:13 and Zach Feldman at 15:09 to send the teams to the intermission tied at 2-2.
The Wolves came out flying again in the 2nd and took a 3-2 lead just 25 seconds in when Trevor Mack jumped on a Jake Shultz rebound and slipped it past Rodericks; and then made it a 2 goal lead when Nick Chaoush fed Alex Sauer in the neutral zone and Sauer quickly relayed it to Alfredo Lugo streaking over the blue line. Lugo rifled home his first of 2 goals on the game with a low hard snap shot from the top of the right face-off circle at 5:46. The Wolves would once again run into penalty trouble and Walpole’s strong power play took advantage to tie it again on power play goals by Dan Eruzione at 7:10 and Michael Ferraro at 14:29 for a 4-4 score after 2 periods.
The Wolves were their own worst enemy in this one finding themselves short-handed once again and Walpole scored their 5th consecutive power play goal to give the home team their first lead at 7:37 of the 3rd. Staring at a 5-4 deficit the Wolves found themselves on the penalty kill again, this time for a 5 minute major at 8:51. However this time resilience, effort and key saves by Gutting stopped Walpole’s power play as the Wolves refused to give in. The Wolves defense of Cam Armstrong, Dan Hall, Max Kent, Justin Munck and Andrew Olevitz proved huge on the kill blocking shots and denying the Express forwards the puck time and time again. The Wolves gained new life with the important kill and would turn the table on Walpole at this point by scoring a power play goal of their own to tie it 5-5 at 15:17 when Alfredo Lugo tipped home a hard point shot by Trevor Mack. The play started with a face-off win by Joe Flanagan and a pass from Chaoush to Mack. The game became fast and furious up and down action at this point until the Wolves went on the power play again at 19:01. Walpole goaltender Rodericks thwarted an Andrew Lee attempt at the buzzer setting the stage for the overtime period. The NHL style 3 on 3 overtime became 4 on 3 due to the Express penalty from regulation carrying over, setting the stage for the Olevitz game winner and the 6-5 win. Kurt Gutting earned the win in net stopping 30 shots. Next up for the Wolves is the Boston Jr Rangers for a home and home at Tewksbury on January 9 and Waterville Valley January 10.
