The Aberdeen Wings headed into the third period of Saturday’s game down by a goal.
But by the end of regulation hockey, they had tied the game to send it to overtime against the Austin Bruins. And less than three minutes into extra hockey, they stole the win in front of an excited crowd at the Odde Ice Center.
The two teams were scoreless through the first 20 minutes of hockey. Austin outshot the Wings 11-7 despite two power play opportunities, one of which was a four-on-three attack, but the Wings’ defense stood tall and goaltender Cole Moore made key saves to keep the Bruins off the board.
Just over halfway through the middle stanza, Austin got the goal they were looking for when James Goffredo scored at the 11:04 mark. Each team killed off a penalty and the Bruins once again outshot the Wings, firing off twelve shots and holding Aberdeen to just six.
Facing a one-goal deficit and needing to get back in the game, the Wings found the equalizer at the 6:25 mark when Luke Backel grabbed a loose puck behind Austin’s goal and spun around into the crease, backhanding the puck into the back of the net. It was his first goal wearing the Wings’ sweater, while Landry Schmuck picked up his third assist.
Aberdeen continued to apply the pressure in the third, firing off twelve shots themselves while stifling Austin to just four. But neither team managed to score again and the game’s fate headed to overtime when the final horn sounded.
Riding their momentum and the crowd behind them, the Wings maintained puck possession through the majority of the overtime period, limiting Austin to just one shot while firing off three. And at the 2:32 mark in the extra time, Alexander Gullichsen skated the puck into the Bruins’ zone and fed to an open Devon Carlstrom, who fired from the circles for the game-winner. Carlstrom notched his first goal on the season, while Gullichsen and Landon Parker each notched their sixth assists on the year.
And with that, the Wings took the 2-1 win after getting two unanswered goals, grabbing their first win in front of the home crowd this season.
“Sometimes good teams just get tired of underperforming to our capabilities,” Wings head coach Scott Langer said. “That seemed to be the case in the third period when we tipped the rink in our favor.”
At one point, the Wings were outshot 23-13, but when the dust settled inside the Odde, each team recorded 28 shots on goal. Moore turned away 27 of those shots for his sixth win on the season.
“Cole was sharp again, making big saves when we needed them,” Langer said. “Any time the team finds a way to win, we are happy.”
Aberdeen improves to 7-6-1-2 on the year while Austin still sits at the top of the Central Division with an 8-2-1-3 record. But Langer and his team were happy to deliver the Bruins’ their first overtime loss on the year.
“It’s a great feeling to give the Odde something to leave feeling really good about their hometown team.”
The Wings are back on the road this coming weekend, Nov. 4-5, as they head to Mason City Iowa to face the North Iowa Bulls for the first of two consecutive weekends. Puck drops inside Mason City Arena at 7:10 p.m. both Friday and Saturday. Fans can watch the game using their HockeyTV login, or catch the action at Buffalo Wings & Rings in Aberdeen, the official home for all Wings away games. The game’s audio will be broadcasted via Hub City Radio’s 94.1 The Rock.
They’ll return home the following weekend to host the Bulls inside the Odde Ice Center. Fans are invited to our Veteran’s Day game and Sanford Children’s Miracle Network weekend, featuring specialty jerseys that will be auctioned off following Saturday’s game. Stay tuned to AberdeenWings.com for more details.