Listowel, ONT. —The Listowel Cyclones erased a three-goal deficit to earn a point in their second game of the season. The St. Thomas Stars ultimately claimed a 4-3 overtime victory at Steve Kerr Memorial Arena.
Listowel scored three unanswered goals after falling behind 3-0 midway through the second period. Two power-play goals sparked the rally before Dax Vader tied the game early in the third. St. Thomas scored 35 seconds into overtime to secure the win.
Heath Bradley, Shayne Keefe and Vader each recorded a goal and an assist. Roman Shtefan added two assists, and Hudson Wiles contributed one. Jack Bree finished with 33 saves on 37 shots through 60:35 in goal.
The teams played a scoreless first period following the 7:30 p.m. puck drop. St. Thomas opened the scoring just 11 seconds into the second, then doubled its lead at 5:05. A third goal at 10:17 gave the visitors a commanding advantage.
The Cyclones began their response on the power play.
Bradley scored his first goal of the season at 15:23, with assists from Keefe and Shtefan. The goal gave Listowel a foothold and cut the deficit to two.
The Cyclones capitalized on another power-play opportunity before the intermission. Keefe scored at 19:01 to bring Listowel within one, with Bradley and Vader earning the assists.
The two goals came just 3:38 apart. After trailing by three earlier in the period, the Cyclones headed to the dressing room down 3-2.
Listowel carried that momentum into the third and needed only 15 seconds to draw even.
Vader scored his first goal of the season off assists from Shtefan and Wiles, completing the comeback. The Cyclones had scored three times in a span of 4:52 of playing time to tie the contest at 3-3.
Neither team scored again in regulation. Bree held the Stars off the board throughout the third period, helping Listowel reach overtime and secure a point.
St. Thomas ended the contest at 0:35 of the extra period.
The power play played a decisive role in Listowel’s recovery. Bradley and Keefe each scored with the man advantage and assisted on the other’s goal. Vader also contributed to the second tally before scoring the equalizer, while Shtefan helped set up two of the three goals.
The overtime result left the Cyclones just short of completing the turnaround. Their response to a difficult second period, however, ensured they came away with a point.
Listowel will now turn its attention to the road. The Cyclones travel to Strathroy on Saturday, September 19, to face the Rockets. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and fans can watch the game live on FloSports.
-Listowel Cyclones Hockey Club
