The Tigers survived a late charge by Rocky River to hold on for a 3-2 win in the Heights
Holiday Tournament. The fine goaltending of Ben Gaglioti
allowed Heights to take a 2-0 lead into the third period despite being outshot 24-14. The
Tigers' two-goal lead was constructed with a Ben Winger
powerplay goal in the first period, and a Chris Pesek
goal in the second period. It looked like the Tigers were on their way to a shutout until
the defense evaporated in the final five minutes. Rocky River scored with three and a
half minutes left and then had a number of chances to even things up. With just over one
minute remaining, Jeff Houser answered the Pirates' goal
with a coast-to-coast solo effort, but Heights did not recapture the momentum. Rocky River
won the ensuing faceoff and drove down the ice for their second goal just seven seconds
later. The Tigers' defense finally recovered just enough to keep Rocky River off the board
for the final minute. The Pirates outshot the Tigers 32-22 but it wasn't enough to beat
Ben Gaglioti and his 30 saves.
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