The Tigers NIHL snatched a point in dramatic circumstances with a last-gasp goal against Solway Sharks at Telford Ice Rink on Saturday night.
Jason Parry’s men were trailing 3-2 with two seconds left on the clock, before Josh Hustwick stepped up to deflect Corey Goodisons’s shot into the net.
The 3-3 draw means Telford climb back into that vital fourth spot in the Moralee Conference, with the race for play-off places now in full swing.
Tigers NIHL coach Parry wants the lively nature of Saturday’s draw to provide crucial momentum over the next few weeks.
He said: “To go two-nil down and then start playing was disappointing, but I am really proud of how the guys fought back to take a point tonight.
“We’ve stopped the rot from the last few games to get something on the board and get ourselves going again. It was deserved and we came off the ice on a big high.
“We kept on battling to the end and hopefully it’s the start of us getting a roll going and getting some points on the board.”
Telford did, however, find themselves 2-0 down after just 16 minutes against Solway, as the Sharks made the most of a commanding first period.
But the second session was much brighter for The Tigers – Phil Mulcahy got his side’s scoring underway with a fine goal from close range on 32 minutes.
Callum Bowley added a second goal at the start of the final period, although a third Solway strike after 47 minutes appeared to have secured the points.
But Parry’s late decision to remove netminder Denis Bell, in favour of an extra forward, paid dividends as Hustwick scored with one second left to play.
The Tigers chief added: “I don’t think we started the game too well, and they seemed hungrier than us in the first period. They got to more loose pucks in our own end, which put us under pressure.
“Ultimately, that cost us the two goals at the start, but I am really proud of how we battled back after that.”
The Tigers NIHL are back in action next weekend, when they travel to face Sheffield Senators on Saturday.
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