The Trinity Western Spartans scored three goals in the third period to erase a 3-0 deficit as it played Eastern Washington to a 3-3 tie Friday at the Langley Events Centre.
Trailing by three going into the final frame despite outshooting the Eagles 28-15 over that span, the Spartans came out sniping in the third as Kye Benjaminsen scored the first two goals and Sam Gemmell notched the third as the Spartans earned a much-needed point.
As has been the case all year for Trinity Western, penalties got them in trouble in the first two periods as Eastern Washington scored all three of its goals on the power play.
In the third period, Benjaminsen scored shorthanded just 26 seconds in and the comeback was on. On a Spartans power play, Bejaminsen made it a one-goal game with just over 11 minutes to play and then Gemmell tied it with 5:00 left in the game. Benjaminsen finished with three points as he assisted on Gemmell’s tying goal while Trinity Western’s Brandon Long had three assists.
Eastern Washington’s AJ Sanders had one goal and two assists and Cam Sargent had two goals. The Spartans were playing with emergency call-up goalie Daniel Gonzalez, who plays men’s league hockey for the Trinity Western’s Bombers. Gonzalez, who played five games with Trinity Western’s BCIHL club when they were the Titans in 2008-09, made 22 saves to earn the tie.
Eastern Washginton goalie Cash Ulrich made 36 saves for the Eagles.
The Spartans are now 3-6-2 while the Eagles are 4-5-1.
“All we needed in the third period was three shots and they took the three shots and when we keep battling and keep playing that’s our game,” said Spartans coach Dwayne Lowdermilk. “We out-skated them and they were exhausted by the third period. We picked it up in the third period and kept going. But when you’re down three, it’s just three shots and that’s the goal.”
“Every time we come into a third period like this, I tell the goalies if they shut the door, we’ll fill the other end. He [Gonzalez] shut the door and they filled.”
The first period saw both teams trade chances in the early stages before Eastern Washington’s Bret Kellog opened the scoring with his fifth goal of the season with just 34 seconds left in the frame.
In the second period, the Spartans had the first seven shots but were unable to capitalize and instead, less than eight minutes in, it was the Eagles striking again when Sanders buried his seventh of the season. Just over two minutes later, the Eagles made it a three goal margin when Brandon Butler scored at the 9:58 mark of the period.
While Trinity Western ended up outshooting Eastern Washington 19-7 in the middle frame, they were outscored 2-0.
In the third period, the Spartans broke through. When Benjaminsen broke down the right wing shorthanded and slipped a backhander past Ulrich low and to the far side, momentum started to shift. Trevor Beaupre and Brandon Long had the assists. Then, with 11:03 left in the game, Long ripped a point shot that went wide and left of the net but the puck caromed off the back boards and came to Benjaminsen in front of the net and the Spartans forward had an open cage in which to slot it home.
Gemmell then tied the game late when he received a pass from Long in the slot and banged it past Ulrich.
With the score tied, Eastern Washington put the pressure on but Gonzalez, was up to the challenge and made a few key stops late to preserve the tie.
After the final whistle a pair of fights ensued and Trinity Western’s Gemmell and Aaron Riemersma were given fighting majors and game misconducts while Eastern Washington’s Sargent was given a game misconduct, a fighting a major and a penalty for leaving the bench and Taylor McClay was given a game misconduct.
Game Notes – TWU finished with 68 PIM while EWU finished with 70 PIM…TWU was one for seven on the power play while EWU was three for seven.
VICTORIA
SIMON FRASER
OKANAGAN
LOGAN LAKE
VANCOUVER ISLAN.
