Jesse King scored the game-winner as the Vancouver Warriors completed a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Halifax Thunderbirds 8-7 on Friday night.
The Warriors trailed 6-4 in the low-scoring affair heading into the fourth quarter. King then took over, scoring three of Vancouver’s four goals as they outscored Halifax 4-1 in the final frame.
The win temporarily puts the Warriors in first place at 12-5, while the Colorado Mammoth and Saskatchewan Rush face each other on Saturday night with a chance to pull into a tie with Vancouver.
For the Thunderbirds, their playoff hopes take a significant hit as they fall to 7-10. They are chasing the 7-8 Las Vegas Desert Dogs for the final playoff spot.
First Quarter
It didn’t take long for the Thunderbirds to get on the scoreboard, as Clarke Petterson found the back of the net just 23 seconds into the game.
Vancouver responded with Keegan Bal scoring at the 2:50 mark to tie the game.
Halifax closed the quarter on a 2-0 run. Petterson scored his second of the period on the power play at 3:59, and Jason Knox added another with 4:37 remaining to make it 3-1 at the first break.
Second Quarter
Halifax extended its lead as Vancouver ran into penalty trouble. Cody Jamieson scored on the power play at 5:26 to give the Thunderbirds a three-goal advantage.
Vancouver battled back to make it a one-goal game. Curtis Dickson started the rally with a power-play goal at 8:14. Just 41 seconds later, Owen Grant scored in transition off a feed from Steph Charbonneau to make it 4-3.
The Thunderbirds restored their two-goal lead with 2:52 remaining, as Mike Robinson set up Knox for a power-play goal.
Vancouver appeared to regain momentum when Dickson scored with 1:01 left in the half.
However, off the ensuing faceoff, Jake Withers won the draw and got the ball to Robinson, who scored to give Halifax a 6-4 lead at halftime.
Third and Fourth Quarters
The defensive battle continued in the third quarter, as both teams were held scoreless. Goaltenders Christian Del Bianco and Warren Hill were sharp, keeping the game tight.
The fourth quarter belonged to Vancouver—and, more specifically, Jesse King. He opened the scoring at the 2:15 mark.
Halifax responded at 5:58, with Casey Wilson scoring his first NLL goal at a crucial moment.
However, the Thunderbirds took their foot off the gas in the latter half of the quarter.
Bal scored at 7:17 to make it 7-6, and King struck just over a minute later to tie the game at seven.
King completed the comeback with 3:49 remaining, giving the Warriors their first lead of the night.
Then came the drama. Jamieson appeared to score the tying goal with 1:59 left. Because the play occurred under two minutes, it was automatically reviewed. After a second look, officials ruled that Jamieson had a foot in the crease before the ball crossed the line, and the goal was waved off.
From there, the Warriors held on to complete the fourth-quarter comeback and secure the 8-7 victory.
Curtis Dickson, Keegan Bal and head coach Curt Malawsky gave their thoughts after the game.
Top Scorers
Vancouver Warriors
Jesse King — 3g, 3a
Keegan Bal — 2g, 2a
Marcus Klarich — 4a
Halifax Thunderbirds
Jason Knox — 2g, 2a
Clarke Petterson — 2g, 2a
Mike Robinson — 1g, 3a
Cody Jamieson — 1g, 3a
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