Schaafsma pair leads Komets past Cyclones

Jamie Schaafsma, a veteran center from Ontario stepped up as the series hero, scoring a pair of first period tallies which was all the Fort Wayne Komets to finally dispatch the Cincinnati Cyclones in the seventh and final game of a thrilling East Coast Hockey League Western Conference Quarter-Final series.

When the final buzzer sounded, it marked the first time in the entire seven game series the Komets had been in front in a crazy series that matched the number two seeded Komets (40-23-7-2 — 89 points) against number seven Cyclones (36-27-5-4 — 81 points). The Cyclones set the stage for an upset with a pair of 3-2 wins at Fort Wayne’s Memorial Coliseum to open the series on April 15-16.

But the Komets clearly were not about to just concede, storming back with a huge 8-0 win at US Bank Arena in Cincinnati April 20 in game three. While that one seemed easy, it was following up by three straight battles that were left unsettled in regulation time.

The Komets managed to equalize the series when Alex Belzile, a 24-year-old winger from Quebec brought an end to game four with his goal with just 4:40 remaining in a second overtime period.

The following night teams battled through another five period contest, this time 21-year-old defender, Jonathan Diaby, also a native of Quebec buried the game winner 9:37 into the second overtime to by the Cyclones within a win of advancing with a 5-4 victory.

The series shifted back to Fort Wayne and extra time was needed once again, this time 26-year-old Garrett Thompson scoring his fifth of the post season on a powerplay 5:30 into the first overtime period to keep the Komets alive and force the seventh game with a 2-1 margin.

That set the stage for Schaafsma who scored the game winner 4:26 into the contest and added the other a little over nine minutes later. Paul Crowder and 22-year-old Troy Bourke collected the assists on both goals while Pat Nagle, 29, turned aside 33 shots for his second shutout of the playoffs.

The win by the Komets leaves two Midwest based teams in the post season — both the West Conference. They just happen to be the top two seeds as well. The top seeded Missouri Mavericks will head into the Conference Semi-Finals against the defending Presidents Cup Champion Allen Americans while the Komets move on with home ice advantage against the Utah Grizzlies.

Watch this space for a preview on both series later today.