Danbury, CT | Patrick Frenette
Danbury comes close to making a last-minute comeback with a goal from Niko Tournas, but the Jr. Americans stave off the Hat Tricks in the final two minutes.
It got physical between the two teams in the opening frame, with Rochester getting up and close against any Hat Tricks possessing the puck. It also did not take long for Jr. Americans forward, Hugo Branthsson, to grab the contest’s first goal, 1:17 into the period. Yet both squads took the bulk of the period to get to know each other, with 10 penalty minutes accumulated in the period. The period ended with a goal from Rochester forward, Landon Brownlee.
The second frame saw both teams grab great opportunities, yet both goaltenders would keep the game at a 2-0 lead in favor of Rochester. Hat Tricks forward, Gates Omicioli grabbed the first goal for Danbury, 14:28 into the period off an assist from defenseman, Andrew Horn. Rochester was quick to answer, with forward, Hugo Branthsson grabbing his second goal of the game to make it a 3-1 contest to close out the period.
The final frame was a nail-biter from start to finish. Hat Tricks forward, Niko Tournas, scored his first goal as a Hat Trick to put Danbury within one goal of tying the game up. The Hat Tricks would have one final power play opportunity after that goal was scored. However, during a Hat Tricks timeout, the decision was made to pull netminder, Thomas Kieswetter, for the remainder of the period, creating a 6-on-4 opportunity for the remaining 44 seconds of said power play, with a 6-on5 to close the game out. Through that, the Hat Tricks could not get the puck luck they needed to tie the game, ending a 3-2 victory for Rochester.
The Hat Tricks are back in action tomorrow night to close out the weekend series against Rochester at the Danbury Ice Arena. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. and you can livestream the game on NATV. Follow our social medias for game day updates, interviews, and more.