Sam Miletic scored the hat-trick including the game winner in overtime as the IceDogs won 6-5 over Sarnia. A sellout crowd was in attendance to see the home team stage a four goal comeback to send the game to OT on Pink in the Rink night.
Sarnia, ranked number four in the CHL, took the lead late in the first on a short-handed marker before Miletic tied the game 23 seconds later on the same power-play. Ben Jones, with the first of his 5 assists and Kirill Maksimov helped out. The Sting response came less than a minute later in a wide open first with Sarnia out-shooting the ‘Dogs 17-16.
Billy Burke’s team came out flying early in the second but it was two goals from Sarnia 13 seconds apart stretched their advantage. A fifth goal came with 2:47 left…cue the comeback. Less than a minute later Miletic scored his 22nd on a snap-shot off a clean Jones face-off win. With 22 seconds left, a left wing shot from Miletic hit the right post so cleanly that it deflected to Maksimov on the right side and he buried his team leading 26th on the power-play. Akil Thomas, just back from the Top Prospects Game, added the second assist. Once again shots were close, this time in favour of the IceDogs 13-12.
The third period saw the ‘Dogs fire a season high 21 shots in goal. Were it not for the heroics of Sting goaltending, this game might have ended in regulation. Thomas to Jones to Dan Singer on the power-play netted Singer his 21st at 1:19. After several great chances and with Stephen Dhillon on the bench, coach Billy Burke sent out six forwards and was rewarded with Johnny Corneil’s 13th of the year with two minutes left. Once again it was Jones and Thomas with assists. For 60 minutes, the home team held a 50-35 shots edge.
In OT, the IceDogs recorded the only two shots, with the winner being a Jones faceoff win, a Drew Hunter left point pass with a Miletic finish from the right side 2:27 into the extra period. Post-game, the big winner was the Canadian Cancer Society as commemorative Pink in the Rink jerseys were auctioned off in support of the cause.
The win keeps Niagara on pace with Barrie, one point out of first in the Central with a game in hand on the Colts.
610 CKTB 3 Stars of the Game…
1-Sam Miletic
2-Ben Jones
3-Jordan Kyrou (Sting)
It’s a quick turnaround on a three in three weekend as the IceDogs head to Sudbury for a Saturday matchup. 610 CKTB will be there too, with the pre-game at 6:30.