McMurphy Gets Game Winner in Comeback Win
March 22, 2013 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release
KEARNEY, Neb. - After being down by two goals at the end of the first period, the Tri-City Storm (22-28-7) came back in the second period and got a game-winning goal late in the third from Ryan McMurphy to defeat the Des Moines Buccaneers (22-31-3) on Friday night at the Viaero Event Center.
Storm forwards Ben Foster and Joel L'Esperance both scored twice and Heikki Liedes added a goal in the victory for Tri-City.
Des Moines took the early lead, scoring a goal at 8:19 of the first period by Patrick Grasso.
But the Storm responded, tying the game on Foster's first goal of the night at 12:44 of the opening frame.
The Buccaneers then scored two more times late in the first and led 3-1 after one period.
Once again, the Storm responded quickly, getting a goal from Liedes on a powerful wrist shot just 28 seconds into the second.
Tyler Dorantes scored on the power play to make it 4-2 Bucs at 15:48, and then L'Esperance took over.
The Storm center tallied two goals in a minute and forty-six seconds and evened the game at 4-4 heading into the third period. His first goal came on a rebound after a two-on-one with teammate Jared Linnell.
Then a Dorantes penalty put Tri-City on the power play with under a minute left in the period and L'Esaperance found the back of the net another rebound in front with just five seconds remaining in the middle frame.
In the third, the Storm used their new found momentum to take their first lead of the game and make the score 5-4 less than four minutes into the period on Foster's second goal of the night.
Des Moines tied the game at 13:50 of the third on a goal by Seth Adams from right in front of the net and the teams were all square at 5-5.
But under a minute later it was McMurphy who got the game-winner with just his second goal of the season, vaulting Tri-City to a 6-5 lead.
With under two minutes to play, Eli May took a tripping penalty which sent Des Moines to the power play and, with an extra attacker, gave the Buccaneers a two-man advantage for the remainder of the game.
The Storm were able to kill off the final few seconds, getting some big contributions from both McMurphy and defenseman Richard Buri, who blocked shots on the final Des Moines attempts and pick up the win.
Justin Quale got the win in net, making 19 saves on 24 shots, while Nick Ellis made 47 saves on 53 shots for Des Moines in the loss.
Tri-City welcomes the Sioux Falls Stampede for the teams' final meeting of the season Saturday night at the Viaero Event Center. The puck drops at 7:05 p.m.
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United States Hockey League Stories from March 22, 2013
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- Indiana falls to Phantoms - Indiana Ice
- March 29th Lumberjacks Home Game to Feature Epilepsy Awareness Night - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Phantoms Handle Ice 5-1, Pick up 7th Straight Win at Home - Youngstown Phantoms
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