Valesano Nets Penalty Shot Game Winner in Overtime
Published on September 26, 2015 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux City Musketeers News Release
Veteran forward Connor Valesano picked up his first goal of the season in dramatic fashion, scoring Sioux City's first game-winner of the season on a penalty shot 1:48 into sudden death overtime.
It would be the host team that would open scoring 10:23 into the first period when Zach Yon (Ian Sheid, Jack Adams) beat second year Musketeer netminder Cam Gornet on a low angle shot that came in almost parallel to the goal line from Gornet's left side. The lead would last less than two minutes before Brian Rigali (unassisted) notched his first USHL goal, the first of the regular season for Sioux City, to tie the game at the 12:11 mark of the 1st.
Jackson Keane (Mitch Fossier) picked up his first goal as a Musketeer on the power play a mere 38 seconds into the second period giving the visiting team a 2-1 lead. Sheid evened the score at 2-2 for the Force with a power-play goal of his own at 6:53 of the second. That lead vanished 13 seconds later when the Finnish forward Teemu Pulkkinen scored on a beautiful give and go from Pulkkinen to Eeli Tolvanen and then back to Pulkkinen for a wide open backdoor goal to give the Musketeers a 3-2 lead. Riley Tuft (Sheid) tied the game knotted the score at 3-3 with 10:08 left in the second.
Neither team would find the back of the net in the third period, bringing on the first overtime of the season for each team. Valesano was hauled down on a breakaway 1:48 into the sudden death session and was awarded a penalty shot. Valesano wasted no time burying the shot, giving the Musketeers their first win on the season.
The Musketeers return to action in Sioux Falls, South Dakota for the regular season home opener for the defending Clark Cup Champion Stampede at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center. Game time is 7:05 pm.
United States Hockey League Stories from September 26, 2015
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- Hawks Get the Point - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Gamblers Fall in Season Opener - Green Bay Gamblers
- Youngstown Drops Home Opener to USA - Youngstown Phantoms
- Stars Fall 7-4 in Cedar Rapids - Lincoln Stars
- Big Crowd Watches Herd Down Musketeers in Season Opener - Sioux Falls Stampede
- McLellan & Leclerc Each Score Twice in Loss - Madison Capitols
- Musketeers at Sioux Falls Tonight - Sioux City Musketeers
- Capitols Kick off Regular Season in Dubuque vs. Saints - Madison Capitols
- Valesano Nets Penalty Shot Game Winner in Overtime - Sioux City Musketeers
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