The Vancouver Stealth (3-4) completed its epic comeback with a 14-13 overtime win over the Calgary Roughnecks (3-5) at Langley Events Centre on Saturday night. The Roughnecks (3-5) built up leads of 6-0 and 12-5 before the Stealth reeled off eight-straight goals in front of the squad’s hometown fans.
Calgary rookie Reilly O’Connor then scored with 8.9 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime, but it was Vancouver forward Corey Small who completed his hat trick at 1:16 of the extra session to give the Stealth the thrilling come-from-behind victory.
Curtis Dickson had five goals and one assist in the first half as the ’Necks built up an 8-3 lead before the Stealth defence limited him to just three more helpers the rest of the way.
Tyler Digby recorded a hat trick and three helpers against his old team, while Jeff Shattler scored once and set up five others. O’Connor finished with two goals and four assists, while Dan MacRae and Karsen Leung also scored.
Frankie Scigliano started in net for the ’Necks and stopped 27 of 38 shots he faced. In a relief appearance, goalie Mike Poulin turned aside 14 of 17 shots fired his way, but he wasn’t able to stop Small in OT and wound up taking the loss.
Rhys Duch led the Stealth with four goals and two assists, while Small and Jordan Durston both recorded hat tricks and two helpers. Logan Schuss scored once and set up seven others, while Garrett Billings (2g, 4a) and Joel McCready (1g, 2a) also chipped in offensively.
Eric Penney got the start for the Stealth, but was pulled after giving up four goals on 11 shots. Veteran goalie Tyler Richards, who came out of retirement to join the Stealth this past week, went on to make 31 saves in a relief appearance to record the win.
MacRae opened the scoring at 3:14 of the first when he fired a long-range shot into the top corner over Penney’s right shoulder.
Dickson then scored his first of the night before setting up a goal by Digby and adding two more of his own. Dickson’s fifth goal of the game was a thing of beauty. He took a pass from Wesley Berg during a Calgary man advantage and backhanded a no-look bounce shot through his own legs and past Richards at 8:16 of the second quarter.
The Riggers then went up 6-0 thanks to a breakaway goal by Leung with 24 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
The ’Necks surrendered the first two goals of the second half before Shattler took a pass from Digby and snapped a shot past Richards to go up 9-5 at 4:04 of the third quarter.
Shattler then returned the favour and set up Digby for a power play goal 97 seconds later. O’Connor and Digby, with his hat-trick goal, then scored to give the Riggers what seemed to be a comfortable 12-5 lead.
The Vancouver offence then erupted for four goals in 83 seconds late in the third quarter and four more in the fourth to go up by a goal.
Calgary didn’t quit, though, as O’Connor took a pass from Tyler Melnyk before snapping a long-range bounce shot past Richards to force overtime.
Three Stars of the Game:
1) Corey Small
2) Curtis Dickson
3) Jordan Durston
Story by CalgaryRoughnecks.com. Photo by Garrett James.
