Lovick's hat trick not enough, Tornado swept by Topeka
April 12, 2012 - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
Watertown Privateers News Release
Jordan Lovick scored a hat trick, but the Texas Tornado's opportunity at a South division title was lost on Thursday after being defeated in overtime by a score of 4-3. With the win, Topeka wins the series, 3-0, and advances to the second round of the playoffs. Richard Young had the game-winning goal for Topeka, beating Joakim Jutras, who got the start after coming on in relief of Hunter Leisner in Game 2. The Tornado will still play for the Robertson Cup, however, being held from May 3rd to May 8th at Dr Pepper Arena in Frisco.
The Roadrunners opened the scoring at 6:41 of the first period on a goal scored by Kyle Sharkey. The play started in the Topeka zone as Kevin Patterson sent a long pass down the boards to find Ben Bahe. Bahe managed to reel in the pass at the Tornado blue line before skating towards the net. He connected with Sharkey on a centering pass and Sharkey slipped it past Jutras to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead.
Topeka's lead held through the first period and more than half of the second as well, but the Tornado evened the score at the 11:09 mark. An initial shot from the point by Nick Neville was stopped by Traber, but seemed to handcuff him as he lost sight of the rebound. Lovick had his eyes on it, however, pounced on the loose puck, and fired it home to tie up the score.
Under four minutes later, Topeka regained its one-goal lead on Jake Lynes' fourth goal of the series. The Roadrunners won the faceoff back to the point, where a slapshot was deflected past Jutras by Lynes to give Topeka a 2-1 lead. The Roadrunners took their 2-1 lead into the second intermission, 20 minutes away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs.
But less than a minute into the third, Lovick struck again, this time to tie the score. He took control of the puck at the top of the right-wing circle, took a couple seconds to control the puck, and snapped a wrist shot past Traber to tie the score just 59 seconds into the third period. Later in the period, The native of Lino Lakes, Minn. netted his third of the night. Mychal Monteith took a shot from the point that Traber stopped, but once again, Lovick crashed the net hard to get control of the rebound and score to give the Tornado their first lead of the game.
That lead held until there were less than four minutes left in third period, when Patterson scored to tie the game. Lynes and Patterson took the Tornado blue line on a 2-on-1 before Patterson unleashed a wrist shot that went top shelf on Jutras, beating the Tornado goaltender and tying the score at 3.
Patterson's goal forced overtime, though it took just 3:07 for the game to be decided. There was a scramble in front, and when the dust settled, Young put in the rebound to send Topeka to the second round of the playoffs. They will take on the Amarillo Bulls, with the winner of that best-of-five series to return to Frisco to play in the Robertson Cup. That is also when the Tornado will next play, as they await the five division winners who will join them in the battle for the NAHL National Championship.
Federal Prospects Hockey League Stories from April 12, 2012
- Lovick's hat trick not enough, Tornado swept by Topeka - Watertown Privateers
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