The Halifax Thunderbirds hosted the Las Vegas Desert Dogs at Scotiabank Centre in a crucial Week 15 matchup. Coming into the matchup, both teams were outside the playoff window, desperately needing a win to boost their playoff hopes before the league’s March 9 trade deadline. Clarke Petterson and Stephen Keogh each had hat tricks as Halifax won 13-11 to improve to 5-7. They host Toronto in the Maritimes next week. Las Vegas falls to 4-7 with the loss; they return home to host Rochester in the first of a home-and-home series in Weeks 16 and 17.
First half track meet sees Halifax trailing by one
A track meet ensued from the opening faceoff, but goaltenders Landon Kells (Las Vegas) and Warren Hill (Halifax) were up to the task. Mitch Jones got the Desert Dogs on the board first with a power play goal at 9:11. The Thunderbirds countered with a shorthanded goal from Ryan Terefenko (14:22) to level the game at 1-1 after 15 minutes. The quick pace continued into the second, with Las Vegas taking control early. Goals from Adam Poitras (1:43), Jones (2:12), Jackson Webster (2:35), and Connor Kirst (7:22) gave the Desert Dogs a 5-1 lead.
Cody Jamieson broke the run with a power play goal (7:51), but Jonathan Donville (9:58 power play) answered to push the Las Vegas lead to 6-2. Halifax then slowly chipped away at the lead, starting with Austin Blumbergs scoring his first career goal (10:14 shorthanded). Clarke Petterson followed at 13:34, and a buzzer beater from Stephen Keogh (14:58) cut the Thunderbirds deficit to 6-5 at halftime.
Keogh, Petterson lead the charge for Halifax in the second half
The third quarter opened with yet another flurry of goals in a span of just over two minutes. Will MacLeod (2:30) tied the game for Halifax, but Poitras scored his second (2:55) to put Las Vegas up 7-6. However, a transition goal from Ethan O’Connor (3:50) and Petterson’s second goal (4:35 power play) gave the Thunderbirds their first lead of the game, 8-7, going into the final frame.
Kyle Killen scored 28 seconds into the fourth quarter to tie the game. Halifax would regain the lead on Petterson’s hat trick goal (1:36), then push the lead to 10-8 when Nonkon Thompson squeaked one by Kells (3:50). Chris Cloutier (5:23 power play) narrowed the gap to 10-9 for Las Vegas, but the Thunderbirds went on another run to extend their lead. Jason Knox (7:35) and back-to-back goals from Keogh (10:27; 12:33) made it a 13-9 game. Another power play goal from Cloutier (13:34) and dunk from Killen (14:13) that was originally ruled no-goal but overturned on review pulled the Desert Dogs within two, but Halifax held on for the victory.
Other Stats Of Note
Las Vegas: Cloutier (2g, 3a); Killen (2g, 2a); Jones (2g, 1a); Poitras (2g, 1a); Donville (1g, 4a); Kirst (1g, 1a); Webster (1g); Kevin Crowley (3a)
Halifax: Petterson (3g, 4a); Keogh (3g, 1a); Knox (1g, 4a); Jamieson (1g, 3a); MacLeod (1g, 1a); Blumbergs (1g); O’Connor (1g); Thompson (1g); Terefenko (1g); Brendan Bomberry (3a)
Landon Kells (LV): 43 saves; Warren Hill (HFX): 42 saves
Jake Withers (HFX): 26-28 Faceoffs, 23 Loose Balls
Keogh tallied his 250th career goal in the second quarter
