"This was a wild one," Odell said after the game. "From the get-go, both teams were really skating, really hustling. It was fun to be a part of."
Odell, who was playing his first game since undergoing facial surgery to repair a broken nose, also talked about the close call he encountered in the third.
"Yeah, it got a little scary there. [Pearson's] stick came up and caught me right in the lip. At first I was thinking 'You have to be [expletive] kidding me', but I realized it was just the lips. I know a lot of people have been clamoring for me to wear a cage, but you know what, quit your clamoring. I won't wear a cage til Aaron wears one."
"I tried a visor for a bit," Aaron Duda said. "But my doo-rag wasn't big enough."
Mike D'Ignazio started the scoring on a patented D'Ignazio blast from the left wing. The forward collected a pass and skated into the zone before firing the puck far side.
"The slap shot is the more ferocious shot in the animal kingdom," D'Ignazio said. "So wild, so free."
The Fections were able to tie it moments later, then strike two more late in the opening period to take a 3-1 advantage into the first break.
"We actually liked the way we were playing," Steve Hand said. "We were hustling, we were skating, and we were getting chances," Hand, who after the game admitted to being hungover after "getting weird" last night, talked about the advantages of having five guys on offense.
"It's terrible for flow. Jason was right."
The Soviets began to create more chances in the second period by altering their forechecking attack. With relentless pressure, they were able to generate two quick strikes by forcing Easton Fection turnovers. Pat King and Hendricks struck on consecutive shifts to tie the game at three.
"I had Drix going to the net," King said. "I think the goalie was expecting the pass to get to him. I saw him leaning a bit, so I decided to rip one right where Mommy hides the baby Tylenol."
Hendricks was less descriptive in describing his goal.
"I took the pass from Digs and just tried to get it on net. I think I fanned on it. Hashtag awesome, hashtag I'll take it, hashtag avenge Odell. God, how is Ryan Odell's face not trending worldwide right now?"
Hendricks tallied his second of the game early in the third with a fade away wrist shot that found it's way through a maze of bodies and past the goalie.
"Hashtag Jordan," Hendricks continued.
D'Ignazio increased the lead to 5-3 with six minutes to go in the game. The Soviets penchant for taking penalties cost them the lead however. With the score 5-4 and Hendricks in the box for slashing, the Fections scored on a fluke skate redirection.
The horn sounded and the teams went to overtime. The Soviets had a power play, hit the post, then got really sloppy, and dodged bullet after bullet as Celenski held down the fort.
Then the game went into a shootout, setting the stage for Hendricks and Odell.
"It's always good to win a game like this," Jason White said. "It was a battle out there."
Continued Jason, "Would have been better if we didn't have five guys though. Jesus.."
THREE STARS:
3: Tony Horton
2: Mike D'Ignazio
1: Ryan Odell
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