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Nitros and T-Cats battle to 4-4 draw

After two overtime periods, two teams call it even during Wednesday night action at the Kimberley civic centre.
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Dynamiters defenceman Tristan Pagura heads to his position during a line change against the visiting Creston Valley Thunder Cats on Wednesday night.

After two overtime periods, the Kimberley Dynamiters and the Creston Valley Thunder Cats had to call it a 4-4 draw on Wednesday night.

The Nitros were able to mount a comeback after a 2-0 deficit in the first period, scoring a trio of goals when the T-Cats got into penalty trouble in the middle frame.

Dynamiters forward Tyson Klingspohn led the way with a hat trick, while goaltender Jeremy Mousseau turned away 30 shots to keep his team in the game over 70 minutes of hockey.

Brandon Formosa and Carson Cartwright scored in the opening period as Creston built a 2-0 lead after 20 minutes and dominated the Nitros in their own end.

"Just stay positive, build off everything that we can, the little things like shots on net," said Klingspohn, on how the team felt going into the middle period. "Their goalie was giving up some big rebounds there—so just tried to get every puck on net."

The Nitros managed to cut into the lead early in the second frame, when Dylan Sibbald beat a T-Cats defenceman and fed Klingspohn at the side of the net, who bagged his first goal of the night.

However, just over a minute later, the T-Cats restored their two-goal lead, when Ethan Rusnack buried a loss puck after teammate Connor Kidd was stripped of the biscuit in Kimberley territory.

Right before the halfway point of the period, the tide began to turn, after Jordan Busch was hit from behind and left the game.

Creston forward Colton St. John was slapped with a five-minute major on the play, and Kimerley's powerplay went to work. Jared Marchi sniped a low shot past T-Cats goaltender Brock Lefebvre, making it a one-goal game.

After a stoppage of play in front of Lefebvre, Colby Livingstone went after Andrew Miller, who wasn't interested in reciprocating. Livingstone was ejected and hit with an instigating minor and five minute major penalty.

Again, the Nitro powerplay went to work, this time with Klingspohn drawing blood to even it up at 3-3 after 40 minutes.

Creston continued their parade to the penalty box in the third period, and Klingspohn completed his hat trick just a few minutes in to give the Nitros their first lead.

"We did everything we could, tried to put in as many [powerplay goals] as we could," said Klingspohn. "Probably would've liked to have put in a few more, but it helped give us momentum in the third period there, and we had better discipline than them so it paid off for us tonight."

Creston tied it up just after the halfway mark of the period, taking advantage of a turnover in the Dynamiters zone with Formosa tallying a shorthanded marker.

The two teams went at it in two extra five-minute overtime periods, which solved nothing and settled the affair at a 4-4 tie.

 



Trevor Crawley

About the Author: Trevor Crawley

Trevor Crawley has been a reporter with the Cranbrook Townsman and Black Press in various roles since 2011.
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