Egle's Late Tying Goal Forces Shootout, But Fargo Holds On
December 6, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Madison Capitols News Release
Madison, WI - The Madison Capitols (8-11-0-2) got a clutch last minute goal from Haralds Egle to force overtime, but the Fargo Force (10-10-1-0) hung on Sunday afternoon for a second straight shootout win by a final of 3-2.
The first period began very tentatively, with neither team able to muster more than three shots through well over half of the opening frame. Once again, each side would receive early power play chances, with the Capitols failing on one try and the Force coming up empty on two first period man advantages.
Shortly after the Capitols' first kill, an odd-man rush presented itself as Alex Payusov roared into the offensive zone down the right side. Payusov elected to shoot the puck, but Robbie Beydoun came up with his best save of the period for the Force.
Less than a minute after the Beydoun save, Shane McMahan worked a puck off the right wing wall into the slot and fed Jack Adams in front of the net. Adams then made a fine backhanded deke to beat Ryan Edquist and give the Force a 1-0 lead at 15:28.
Once again, shots on goal were hard to come by for the Capitols, as they could only muster six at the Fargo net in the opening period, while Fargo could only register nine opportunities despite a pair of power play chances.
After a very tentative opening period, the two teams opened things up in a more up-and-down second period. First, it looked like the Capitols would have a glorious chance to tie the score as Guillaume Leclerc picked up the puck in the slot and walked in on Beydoun, but the goaltender was able to knock the shot down and keep his team ahead.
The lead would not be a permanent one, however. At 12:02, Egle used his feet to kick a puck loose in a board battle behind Beydoun's net. Payusov then made a no look, backhand pass to the front of the net, where Eetu Selanne stood all by himself. Beydoun had not even reacted to the pass as Selanne hit the open net for his fourth of the season to tie the game, 1-1.
After registering just 16 shots in 67 minutes an evening ago, the Capitols made Beydoun break a sweat in the second, sending 13 shots his way. At the other end, Edquist made 13 saves of his own to bring his two-period total to 21.
Beydoun and Edquist would each get dented once in the final minutes of the third period. After the teams played a pretty evenly matched stalemate through the first 13 minutes of the third, Fargo finally broke the deadlock when Carson Musser beat Edquist on a long-range wrister from the right point. Edquist could not pick up the puck in a sea of bodies and Musser's first of the year put Fargo on top, 2-1, at 14:13 of the third.
The Capitols removed Edquist with just under two minutes to play to pick up an extra attacker, and the move paid off as Egle picked up a Daniel Willett blocked shot in the left wing corner. As he so often does from that spot, Egle immediately spun the puck toward the goaltender's feet, and with Charlie Gerard in front creating a distraction, the Latvian sent a pinball shot past Beydoun to tie the game with just 1:01 to play.
For a second straight night, the Capitols and Force played the seven-minute overtime at a fairly tentative pace, with only seven shots between the clubs in the extra session, leading to a second shootout in as many nights.
After Beydoun stopped Egle and Willett, Denis Smirnov beat Edquist on a backhanded five-hole shot to give the Force the victory, 3-2. It was Fargo's third consecutive shootout victory, which clawed their record back to the .500 plateau.
After picking up two standings points in two games this weekend, the Capitols will face conference rivals on three straight nights as they take on Dubuque and Green Bay on the road on Thursday and Friday for 7:05 p.m. starts before welcoming the Fighting Saints at the Coliseum on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 7:05 p.m.
Next Saturday's tilt is the second annual Teddy Bear Toss. Fans can bring new stuffed animals and chuck them onto the ice for the Capitols' first goal, with donations being made to Capitols charities. Tickets are available by visiting www.MadCapsHockey.com or by calling (608) 257-CAPS (2277).
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United States Hockey League Stories from December 6, 2015
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- Stars Fall to Storm, 4-1 - Lincoln Stars
- Egle's Late Tying Goal Forces Shootout, But Fargo Holds On - Madison Capitols
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- Gamblers Fall on Late Goal - Green Bay Gamblers
- Caps Look to Salvage Weekend Sunday Afternoon vs. Force - Madison Capitols
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- Stampede Sneak Past Chicago In Saturday - Chicago Steel
- Fighting Saints Offense Blows Past Black Hawks - Dubuque Fighting Saints
- Hawks Stifled in Second - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Stampede Top Chicago in Shootout Thriller - Sioux Falls Stampede
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