Gaffney lifts Wings to overtime series win

By Jim den Hollander

Publisher/Editor

Midwesthockey.info

Kyle Gaffney (‘01/Plymouth, Mich.) brought a sudden finish to the fifth and deciding contest of the West Division semi-final with his goal giving the host Aberdeen Wings a 4-3 overtime win at the Odde Ice Center against a stubborn Minot Minotauros squad 19 seconds from the end of the first overtime period.

The Wings lost just four times in regulation through the regular season but were pushed to the five-game limit by a Minot squad that refused to surrender.

The game was similar to the series as the Wings scored first and carried a 3-1 lead out of the second period but the Tauros struck back in the third, Kyle Kukkonen (‘02/Maple Grove, Minn.) sending it to overtime with his tying goal 28 seconds from the final buzzer.

Nico DeVita (‘01/Bellevue, Wash.) fired the first period goal for the Wings and others came from Clayton Cosentino (’00/San Carlos, Calif.) and Natan Vertes (‘00/Budapest, Hungary).

Damon Zimmer (‘00/Daysland, Alta.) fired the second period goal for the Minotauros and Ethan Schmunk (‘00/Powell River, B.C.) had the other third period goal).

Keenan Rancier (‘00/Victoria, B.C.) turned in another awesome effort in goal, facing 50 shots for the Tauros and Jake Sibell (‘00\Isanti, Minn.) picked up the win in goal for the Wings.

Aberdeen will again hold home ice advantage in its Best of Five West Division final against the Bismarck Bobcats.

Other Sunday action saw the Maine Nordiques eliminating the New Jersey Titans with a 5-3 win in the fifth game of their Best of Five East Division series at Androscoggin Bank Center in Lewiston, Maine.

Second round series schedules are still to be announced.