Nick Rashkovsky scored a power-play goal with 22 seconds left to finish off the Twin City Thunder’s rally in a 5-4 win over the Utica Jr. Comets during the USPHL Winter Showcase at New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass. on Sunday.
John Kondub and Jeromey Rancourt set up Rashkovsky for the game-winner in the NCDC division matchup. Andrew Kurapov had tied the game 41 seconds earlier on the same power play, which came after Utica was whistled for a major penalty with 5:12 left in regulation. Levente Keresztes and Christian Blomquist assisted on Kurapov’s goal.
The Jr. Comets led 2-0 after one period, thanks to goals from Dmytro Danylenko and Max Techel. Keresztes and Blomquist scored in the first half of the second period to tie the game, but Mikey Giampapa gave Utica the lead back before the end of the frame.
Tyler Morin made it 4-2 for Utica 22 seconds into the third. Daniel Murnieks scored on the power play for Twin City to cut the deficit to one just seven seconds before the Jr. Comets were hit with the major penalty.
Blomquist and Keresztes both had two assists, while Kurapov, James Fisher Shea and Carl Froblom each had one.
Jaxon Friedman made 29 saves in his debut for the Thunder’s NCDC team, while Connor Close stopped 31 of 36 shots for Utica.
The Thunder were 4-for-6 on the power play, with the Jr. Comets just 2-for-9.
USPHL PREMIER
TWIN CITY 7,TAMPA BAY 4
Josh Kego capped off a hat trick by putting Tampa Bay Juniors away for good in the Twin City Thunder’s 7-4 victory in a USPHL Premier division contest during the league’s Winter Showcase in Marlborough, Mass. on Sunday.
Each of Kego’s first two goals gave the Thunder leads in a game that was back and forth until the latter portion of the third period. His second-period goal made it 2-1, and his second goal, with 5:54 left in regulation, made it 4-3.
Cam Grant’s power-play goal made it a two-goal lead with 3:38 left, and after Stanley Lucas’s shorthanded goal pulled Tampa Bay back within one, Adam Stepanek scored on the power play 15 seconds later. Kego then rounded out the scoring with 1:32 left.
Alex Glidden opened the scoring in the first period to give Twin City a 1-0 lead, but Aaron Frenkel answered for Tampa Bay later in the frame. Frenkel scored again in the second to make it 2-2 after two periods.
Connor Reed gave Tampa Bay a brief lead early in the third, but Joshua Dow tied it back up for Twin City just over a minute later.
Dow had two assists in the game, as did Italo Milbergs, Raphael Lajeunesse notched three, and Kego, Glidden, Grant, Logan Maki and Matt Poirier each recorded one.
Lucas led Tampa Bay with three assists, while Reed and Frenkel had one apiece.
Brendan Gasaway stopped 29 of 33 shots in goal for Twin City, while Cade Kujawski made 28 saves for Tampa Bay.
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