Game Report: Northern Lights Get OT Win Again To Sweep Two-Game Series

Chris Corgan completed his hat trick with an overtime game-winning goal 1:07 into sudden death, as the Minnesota Northern Lights beat the Oceanside Shock 7-6 on Sunday night at Frontwave Arena. A crowd of 2,352 saw a high-speed, up-and-down, and exciting game in which the Shock (1-4-2, 4 points) build their first-ever point streak with back-to-back OT losses, pulling two-of-four points out of the weekend series. James Spaargaren scored his first two goals of the season and added an assist for Oceanside.

The Northern Lights (3-2-1, 7 points) saw their captain Corgan lead the way, scoring the club’s final three goals. The overtime game-winner came on the only shot of the three-on-three period, a two-on-one charge with Brad Reitter from the red line, finished by Corgan’s wrister through the five-hole of Shock goaltender Chris Marsillo (11-of-14 saves in relief). Minnesota ran their point streak to four games (3-0-1).

A game littered with seventeen penalties saw each team’s power play come to life with three conversions apiece. Corgan’s first two goals both came with a Shock player in the penalty box, giving Minnesota a 5-4 lead in the second period, and a 6-6 tie at the 9:43 mark of the third, as Oceanside’s Vladimir Fadeev was called for a tripping minor just 25 seconds after the Shock had scored to take the lead 6-5 on Isaiah Socha’s first FPHL goal at 8:10. A previously struggling Oceanside power play locked in with a 3-for-7 performance on the night, with Tyler Sybil, Matt O’Dea and Tyler Maxwell all finding the net. The Northern Lights went 3-for-9.

Wide-open hockey was the story of the night, with a 2-2 first period and a 3-3 second period. Spaargaren got his FPHL account opened at 5:20 of the first with a tip-in goal, and capped the period with his second on a snap shot off a Maxwell draw, sandwiching Minnesota goals from Dyson Germann and Ricky Regala. In the second, the Oceanside power play converted on their first three chances, but Minnesota had two power play goals of their own, from Declan Conway (1-3=4 points) and Corgan. Kalix Monkman also scored early in the wild frame.

The third period calmed down and got tactical until Socha teamed up with fellow new signee Sybil (1-1=2 points) and Sam Bailey on a go-ahead goal, fired in-and-around the board to Bailey on the right half-wall, where he shot on net, with Socha waiting between the circles to knock in the rebound at 8:10. Seconds later the Shock were back on the penalty kill for the sixth of their nine trips to the box, and after some crisp passing from Minnesota, Corgan found a long rebound on the left wall, gathered himself forward and took a shot that went through the screen of his teammate Reitter and under the crossbar at 9:43 for the equalizer. Oceanside out-shot Minnesota for the second straight game, 48-43. Chris Marsillo replaced Chris O’Shaughnessy (25-of-29 saves) in goal for Oceanside with 4:49 remaining in the second period.

Oceanside will now try to build on their two-game point streak and also end their four-game losing streak when they take on the first-place Fresno Falcons in a back-to-back home-and-home series to end the busy month of October, their first in franchise history. The two teams will meet at Selland Arena in Fresno on Friday, October 30, before driving down to Oceanside for the Saturday night Halloween tilt on Saturday, October 31, at Frontwave Arena. Tickets are available for the game by visiting frontwavearena.com or axs.com.

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