MULTIMEDIA

The Waxers came out of the gate furiously and physically. Before thirty seconds were up both Jimmy Ball and Kevin Tompkins laid thunderous hits on the opposition. However it would be the Spirit who would strike first at the five minute mark. Five minutes later Bobby Fitkin passed back to Mark Mitchell at the point who was waiting and ready to unload. Mitchell's drive a few inches of the ice was redirected five feet in from of the cage by Jesse Boucher, allowing the Spirit keeper no chance on the play. Later in the period the Waxers sagged, an expected result with the grueling schedule and the Spirit took advantage to score twice to take a 3-1 lead after two periods. Waxers netminder Dan Leclair was besieged by a flurry of rubber, facing 20 shots in the first twenty minutes.

While observers resigned themselves to conclude that the Waxers were a "used-up" club, they took to the ice in the second period with very much different thoughts and skated through a period that has to rate as one of the Waxers best of the year-to-date. The fact that the Waxers found from somewhere the reserves to mount a flurry that lasted most of the middle twenty minutes was remarkable and almost unbelievable at times.

Dominating the ice in all aspects the blueline stepped up with big hits, in particular Mike Harding and Albert Ferrante had crushing open ice hits as the Waxers momentum produced a surreal-like aura around the rink as the Waxers pressed relentlessly. Despite their pressure the Waxers could only close within one when Fitkin and Jason Duffy sprung Boucher for a breakaway and with the netminder holding his ground, Boucher caught the pass half-way between the blueline and net and made no mistake for his second of the night.

The first seven minutes of the third period featured no scoring until the Spirit started a mini-outburst that saw them score twice within a span of just over two minutes to leap out to a seemingly out of reach 5-2 advantage.

The Waxers continued to work and the Waxers "no quit" attitude despite the circumstances added an intensity level to the contest that very much resembled a playoff sudden death setting. Boucher got the Waxers within in two, when with just over nine minutes remaining he converted from Duffy and Fitkin for his third goal of the game. With just over five minutes remaining Jason Young went in all alone after taking a feed from James Regan and pulled the puck back when the netminder attempted a desperate poke-check and calmly flipped the puck into the yawning cage. That goal made 5-4 and amplified the already loud crowd. The Waxers then provided the incentive to crank up the crowd noise yet higher when Mark Menonte wristed home the game tying goal, from the left slot finishing off a pretty passing play with Paul Robinson and Young.

So the contest was sent into overtime and the weary Waxers once again sagged but Leclair turned away all comers, he'd turn aside all seven shots he'd face in the 4:24 of overtime. Leclair and Mitchell then fed Fitkin with a breakaway pass, in a unbelievable re-run of Young's third period goal, Fitkin skated deep as if to invite the poke check and sure enough it came he then made no mistake on the sharp angle that led to the open cage.

Make no mistake about the home town crowd was as loud as it has ever been and for good reason. An outstanding and complete team effort to somehow persevere. The Waxers have had many wins on home ice over the years, this is one that will be remembered not just at the end of this season as one of the "defining moments" but for years to come.

If you missed this game there is no way to put words into any kind of order that do the effort of the Waxers and the eventual outcome justice, you just had to be there.

The Waxers enjoy two days of rest before facing off with the Hurricanes in Newmarket on Thursday night.

G A M E   S T A T I S T I C S

No.

 G

A

PTS

PIM

PPG

SHG

GWG

TOTALS