In the most thrilling finish of the 2017-18 season, presented by Community First Credit Union, the Jacksonville Icemen tied the game late in the third period and won the game in overtime against the Brampton Beast in front of 6,987 ecstatic fans.
Seconds into the first period, Everett Clark found Elgin Pearce on the other side of the crease for the shot, but it went just wide. However, it wouldn't take Pearce long to find the back of the net, as the forward struck from the same spot 12:37 into the opening frame. Austin Lotz was solid in net, stopping all 13 Brampton shots on goal and the Icemen ended the first period up by one.
Early in the second period, Brampton tied the game on a delayed Icemen penalty. Cody Donaghey passed to Tyson Wilson, who barely deflected the puck under Austin Lotz to tie the game. Jacksonville would grab the lead momentarily as Elgin Pearce skated past a defenseman and beat Daniel Spence with a backhand shot for his second goal of the game. The celebration was short lived as Cody Donaghey picked up the loose puck in the slot and fired it past a diving Lotz just under two minutes later.
The Beast took their first lead of the game early in the third period as Reggie Traccitto scored off a deflection in front of Lotz. Throughout the rest of the period, the Icemen would have chance after chance to tie the game, but Daniel Spence made all the saves he needed. In a frantic final push, Tim Daly fired a shot from the point and Cody Fowlie scored off the rebound with just 52.5 seconds remaining.
For the second straight game, the Icemen needed overtime to decide the game. Almost three minutes into the extra frame, Bobby MacIntyre found All-Star Christopher Dienes below the left circle who re-directed the puck past Spence for the Icemen win.
With their third win in three days, Jacksonville moves into fifth place in the South Division and are just seven points out of the playoffs. The Icemen return to Estero on Wednesday to take on the Florida Everblades at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets for the next home game on Friday, March 2nd as the Reading Royals are in town for a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.
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