The Atom Jr. Stars hosted the Brantford 99’ers last Friday night. Brantford capitalized on the Stars slow start and jumped out to a 3-0 lead, scoring their 3rd just 0:53 into the 2nd period. Digging deep, the Stars began to claw back with 2 goals of their own in the 2nd and 3 in the 3rd, gaining a 5-4 lead with less then 2:00 remaining. Unfortunately, a Stars' victory was not to be as Brantford scored at the final buzzer, or was it after the final buzzer? At the buzzer? After the buzzer? At?After? The referees couldn’t even agree…
Harrison Bell opened our scoring with a power play goal. His sweeping shot from the slot just 1:09 into the 2nd found its way past an unsuspecting Brantford goalie. Tyler MacMillan put the Stars within a goal after scoring another power play goal on a breakaway with less then 5:00 remaining in the period.
Into the 3rd, and behind one, the Stars were starting to build on their momentum from the 2nd period until Brantford scored just 0:90 in, to regain their 2 goal lead. Not to be rattled, the Stars remained focused and fought off a 0:45 two man advantage for Brantford. As the first penalty ended, Chase Cookson capitalized on a poor Brantford line change scoring short-handed with a strong shot from the point, his first of the season. MacMillan notched his second of the game and completed the Stars comeback less then 2:00 later when his wrist shot from the top of the circle hit just inside the post. Tied at 4 the Stars were at full speed and creating many scoring chances throughout the rest of the period. With only 1:32 left in the contest, Bell tallied his second of the game with a shot from the corner beating a surprised Brantford goalie. Leading 5-4, the Stars held off a surging Brantford team until just before the final buzzer when they managed to slide the puck under Taylor Honsinger and gain the tie. Or was it just after the final buzzer? One referee signaled a goal, the other, waived it off. Brantford fans, “It’s in!!!” St. Thomas, “Not in time!!!” A quick conference by the game officials at the side of the net determined it was indeed a goal. A goal without a replay, scored at 0:00:1 of the 3rd period according to the official game sheet. A disappointing struggle for the Stars after falling behind and fighting back to take the lead, only to end tied 5-5.
Assists to MacMillan (2), Brad Verhoeven and Nik Churchill