After 0-3 Start, Joker Pull Out Miracle 2-2 Tie
The Jokers of Doom had dropped their first 3 contests to open the spring season and scoring was difficult at best with only 3 total goals all of which came in one game. Also, game 3 saw a scuffle involving high scoring wing John Venditti which resulted in a 3 game suspension so things did not look good coming into this game versus 0-1 Cinco Dimeo. The Jokers could feel the pressure and nabbed an unassisted goal by Justin Cossette (1) at 6:08 and carried the 1-0 lead into the 2nd period. The second period would see a single goal by CD to tie the game at 1 heading to the final period. Once again scoring would hard to come by for both teams and the game remained tied very late until a loose ball was picked up and wristed home by open Cinco defensemen Jay Myers with just 23 seconds left in the period. At this point things were looking very bleak for the Jokers, who had until that point survived some very good shots with big saves by Andy Pettola (39 saves). They had pulled goalie and were going to have press hard just to get a shot off. After a faceoff win the ball was dumped into the offensive zone and 6 players moved in to try to get off a shot and hope for a tip or rebound. The ball found it’s way to defensemen Rich Orsini who had little time to think and quickly wristed a shot from the top of the circle that found pay dirt in the upper corner past a screened and stunned Chris Rounds (39 saves). The Jokers would celebrate but OT still remained however neither team could break through in the OT and the game would end 2-2, but it felt like a win for the battered Jokers!