Clayton Chessa fired a wrist shot past Westside goaltender Steve Racine late in the first overtime to lift Trail past the Warriors 3-2.
It was the 20 year-old's team-leading ninth goal of the campaign. Chessa found himself in the hugh slot with just enough time to shoot after receiving an entry pass from d-man Nick Wong.
The Smokies started brightly. Craig Martin opened things with a hot wrist shot on an early first-period power play, before Josh Roberts put the visitors up 2-0 minutes later.
Shawn Hochhausen brought Westside back to within one late in the first period after he converted a pretty 2-on-1 feed from Travis Blanleil, before a second period power-play tip-in from Richard Vanderhoek leveled the score 8 minutes into the middle frame.
Then things got interesting. Hochhausen was tossed for a check from behind major on Wong that resulted in a pileup in the corner. Trail failed to convert on the five-minute power-play, which also brought about a Westside goaltending change at its outset, with James Leonard being replaced by Racine.
The teams traded chances through the third, with the edge going to the Warriors, before Smokies goaltender Reed Vogt made the save of the year (so far) on a Dru Morrison breakaway in the final two minutes of regulation time.
Morrison found himself alone in front, and tried to beat Vogt with a backhander, but the Trail netminder stuck out the right leg to knock the puck away.
Chessa's overtime goal was his second game-winner away from home this season. He put home the winner September 30th at Merritt.
Up Next: Trail hits the road again Wednesday in Salmon Arm (7:00, Sunwave Centre) before returning home for a pair of games against Penticton and Vernon Friday and Saturday at Cominco Arena.
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2 comments:
What about the DIRTY hit / push from behind on Josh Roberts as he charged the net looking for #2 on the night that resulted in his being helped off the ice by his teammates? And NO CALL the Ref's really blew that one!
I think Jon from Westside said it best on his blog that the next meeting between these two should have two referees. Lots happening all over the ice making Grant Tyson's job all the more difficult (he is from Trail by the way).
Thankfully Josh's injury isn't as serious as it looked at first, a scary moment to be sure but I'd imagine several incidents from yesterday could be looked at by the league.
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