Chris Clegg
NPHL.com Writer
Taylor Paulovich’s second goal of the night at 2:12 of overtime, gave the Manning Comets a thrilling 9-8 victory over the High Prairie Regals Saturday night.
Michael Gillen, who had four assists on the night, and Josh Rutherford, assisted on the game-winner which capped a MAN third period comeback which saw MAN tie the game with 4:40 left on Gillen’s power play goal.
The loss kept HP winless at 0-7-0-1 while MAN increased its record to 3-5-0-0 in a battle of the NPHL’s two worst teams.
It certainly wasn’t from lack of trying on HP’s part. Four times HP rallied from deficits. HP trailed 2-0 to tie the game 2-2, 3-2 to tie the game 3-3, 5-3 to tie the game 5-5, and 7-5 to tie the game 7-7.
HP then took the lead with 7:05 left on Jacob Anderson’s third goal of the night before Gillen sent the game into overtime.
Tyler Dillman added two goals for MAN while Josh Rutherford, Brett Nicklason, Kaz Nidish and Jordin Ducharme added the other goals.
Ross Cowell, Hector Lamouche, Damian Cardinal, Lawrence Anderson and Austin Mood-Flegg replied for HP.
It was certainly a night of firsts for many players. Dillman, Nidish, Ducharme, and Nicklasen each scored their first goal of the season for MAN while Cowell and Mood-Flegg turned the trick for HP.
HP has now lost 12 straight games at MAN but HP did reverse a trend of having scored two goals or less in nine of previous 11 losses.
This game marked only the second time HP and MAN have each scored at least eight goals in a game at MAN since 1989. HP won 11-8 at MAN on Jan. 6, 1996.
Regals 8 at Comets 9 (OT)
Saturday, Dec. 1
First period
1. MAN, Tyler Dillman 1 (Michael Gillen, Taylor Paulovich) 00:49
2. MAN, Kaz Kidish 1 (Brett Nicklason) 1:24
3. HP, Hector Lamouche 2 (Jacob Anderson) 11:45
4. HP, Austin Mood-Flegg 1 (Jamie MacMinn) 14:46
5. MAN, Josh Rutherford 8 (unassisted) 16:42 (sh)
6. HP, Damian Cardinal 4 (Kole Shaw, Kirk Ruecker) 17:44 (pp)
Penalties: Jamie MacMinn HP (hooking) 4:28, Kaz Nidish MAN (high-sticking) 16:24, Kirk Ruecker HP and Tyler Dillman MAN (roughing) 19:04, Kole Shaw HP (and Josh Rutherford MAN (slashing) 19:41.
Second period
7. MAN, Jordin Ducharme 1 (Joel Henitiuk, Michael Gillen) 1:51
8, MAN, Taylor Paulovich 2 (Michael Gillen, Josh Rutherford) 3:52
9. HP, Jacob Anderson 4 (Hector Lamouche, Ross Cowell) 5:34
10. HP, Jacob Anderson 5 (Damian Cardinal) 11:07
11. MAN, Brett Nicklason 1 (Jarod Lorencz) 14:49 (pp)
12. MAN, Tyler Dillman 2 (Taylor Paulovich) 19:00
Penalty: Kirk Ruecker HP (tripping) 13:10
Third period
13. HP, Ross Cowell 1 (Jacob Anderson) 3:55
14. HP, Lawrence Anderson 2 (Kirk Ruecker, Ross Cowell) 5:14
15. HP, Jacob Anderson 6 (Hector Lamouche, Ross Cowell) 7:05
16. MAN, Michael Gillen 2 (Josh Rutherford, Thomas Dechant) 15:20 (pp)
Penalties: Jamie MacMinn HP (roughing after the whistle) and Jarod Lorencz MAN (elbowing) 1:31, Kirk Ruecker HP and Britt Olischefski MAN (tripping) 6:33, Damian Cardinal HP and Britt Olischefski MAN (roughing) 14:51.
Overtime
17. MAN, Taylor Paulovich 3 (Michael Gillen, Josh Rutherford) 1:12
Penalties: Damian Cardinal HP (hooking) and Lawrence Anderson HP (misconduct) 1:09, Tyler Dillman MAN (hooking) 1:43, Ryan Penchuk HP (misconduct) 1:12.
Shots on goal:
High Prairie 12 19 11 2 -44
Manning 14 11 4 2 -31 Goaltenders: Regals, Ryan Penchuk; Comets, Braden Gamble.
Power Plays: HP 1-2; MAN 2-4.
Penalties in Minutes: HP 38; MAN 14.