Watertown, NY – For the first time this season the Wolves and Danbury squared off in a Saturday night match up that brought the league leading Hat Tricks to Watertown.
The first period of action brought a couple of good scoring opportunities for each team, with the Hat Tricks being the first team to put points on the board when Dmitry Kuznetsov got behind the defense on an outlet pass from Luke Richards and was able to lift a shot over the shoulder of the Wolves starting net minder Greg Hussey at 14:47 of the period making tghe score 1-0.
The Hat Tricks added to their lead just 2:23 into the second period on a Brendan Dowler goal, assisted by Conner Lind and Daniel Amesbury, making the score 2-0.
Although continuing to outshoot Danbury, it wouldn’t be until the 7:49 mark of period 2 before the Wolves were able to put the puck behind Hat Tricks net minder Brian Wilson to cut the Danbury lead in half, when Trevor Lord lifted a shot over the right shoulder of Wilson off a feed from Larry Yellowknee, making it 2-1.
Matt Brown would eventually tie the game at 2 a side on a power play goal at 10:20 of the third period assisted by Shai Rabinowitz and Mathias Tellstrom. The score would remain tied late into the third when Watertown keeper Greg Hussey would be called for a double miner high sticking call, forcing the Wolves to kill off the final 1:40 of regulation play to hold onto the 2-2 tie.
The game would go to overtime with the Wolves having to kill off the remaining 2 of the Hat Tricks power play. Hussey would be stellar in the extra five minutes with Danbury getting several decent scoring chances, and sending the game to a shootout.
In the shootout, Michael Marchesan would go first for Danbury, dragging the puck from left to right but being denied by Hussey on the backhand try. Watertown’s Mathias Tellstrom would be the first skater for Watertown, and was able to beat Wilson over the blocker side to give the Wolves a one goal lead.
Dmitry Kuznetsov, who scored on a breakaway back in the first , was Danbury’s second shooter and failed to fool Hussey, leaving the Wolves a chance to steal the win if Matt Brown could convert as Watertown’s second shooter. Picking up speed quickly on he left hand side he the crossed in front of the goal and was able to beat Wilson to the far post, bringing the Wolves all the way back from a 2 goal deficit to score the win over the first place Hat Tricks.
The Wolves outshot Danbury 41 to 20 for the game. Danbury went 0 for 6 on power play opportunities while Watertown was 1 for 7.
The 3-2 win gives new head coach Steve Esau 2 wins in as many tries behind the bench for Watertown.
The Wolves will travel to Binghamton on Friday the 23rd to face the Black Bears , while the Hat Tricks will head home to host the Delaware Thunder on Friday night.
by Jeff Barrett
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