Stampede Rally To Top Stars 4-3 In Overtime

LINCOLN, NE -- For the fifth time this season, the Sioux Falls Stampede rallied on the road to win.

Trailing 3-2 in the third period, Bo Pellah scored to tie the game and eventually force overtime where C.J. Franklin scored just 57 seconds in to give the Stampede a 4-3 victory over the Lincoln Stars at the Ice Box on Saturday night. Franklin ended the night with two goals and an assist while Art Brey stopped 22 of 25 shots to earn the win in goal for the Stampede who improved to 5-2-0 on the season.

The Stampede were given some power play opportunities in the first period, but their struggles from the previous night carried over as they were unable to score on a 55 second 5-on-3 advantage. The game remained scoreless until 17:41 when Franklin tallied his second goal of the season. Dennis Kravchenko brought the puck into the Stampede zone and dropped the pass to Franklin inside the right circle who wristed a shot past the stick side of Lincoln netminder Michael Bitzer. The Herd outshot the Stars 8-3 in the period and took that 1-0 lead into the locker room.

Michael Buonincontri took an elbow to the head from Lincoln’s Connor Frantti early in the second period, putting the Stampede on a five minute power play. The Herd cashed in at 4:25 when Zeb Knutson tallied his ninth goal of the season. Franklin brought the puck down the left wing boards and sent a pass into the slot for Knutson who wristed a shot into the upper right hand corner of the net to give the Stampede a 2-0 edge.

The Herd controlled play much of the remainder of the second period until the final five minutes when the Stars responded by scoring three goals in less than three minutes. Brandon Smith scored on the power play at 16:53 to the get the Stars on the board. Moments later, the Stars were back on the power play and scored again when Josh Simonson skated around the Herd defense and wristed a shot past Brey. Lincoln took the lead with just 23 seconds remaining when Jonathan Desbiens wristed a shot through the pads of Brey and the Stars headed into the locker room with a 3-2 edge.

The Stampede got a chance to tie the game 6:18 into the third period when they went on the power play and cashed in. Peter Hand fed Pellah at the left point where Pellah blasted the puck through traffic and past the glove side of Bitzer to tie the game 3-3. The Herd gained the momentum back after the goal, but neither team would score, eventually forcing overtime.

Sioux Falls went on a rare power play in overtime just 39 seconds into the extra session. It didn’t take the Stampede long to convert. Knutson fed Franklin just outside the left circle who quickly wristed the puck past Bitzer to give the Stampede a 4-3 overtime victory.

Lincoln outshot the Stampede 25-24 on the night and went 2-for-5 on the power play while the Stampede were 3-for-7.

The Herd return to the road next Friday and Saturday when they travel to Muskegon to face the Lumberjacks.

Courtesy:  Sioux Falls Stampede