Hookers Sweep Pioneers with 8-6 Win in Las Vegas
2013-03-04
The Las Vegas Hookers swept their weekend series with the Park City Pioneers by winning 8-6 on Saturday night at home. Cody Incollingo scored four goals and Ryan Bahl added two goals and three assists to lead the Hookers to their fifth consecutive win.
The Pioneers entered the game looking to bounce back in front of a crowd that included a noisy contingent of Park City fans. They got the start they were looking for when Brian Babbit found the net at 16:22 on a play created by Robert Ward and Michael Spawton. Things continued to look good for them when the Hookers' Sebastian Galas picked up where he left off the night before by taking a roughing penalty at 15:26. But Ryan Bahl converted a blocked shot into a short handed goal for the Hookers at 14:44. Spawton scored from Nick Liotta and Scotty John at 13:33 while still on the advantage, but his club's lead remained a just one goal.
The Park City lead evaporated seconds later at 12:11 when Brian Jacque converted a pass from Bahl to tie the game. Bahl finished a tic-tac-toe play from Galas and Brett Leone at 4:11 on the powerplay to give the Hookers a 3-2 lead. But Babbit scored his second goal of the game while short handed to tie the game at 3 goals each heading into the first intermission.
The Hookers edged ahead in the second period with Incollingo scoring his first goal of the night at 17:38 from Jack Kim. Robert Ward fought back for the Pioneers with a goal at 9:04 from Liotta and Ward. But Jacque teamed with Bahl and Jameson Peacock to score his second goal of the game with 45 seconds left in the period to regain the lead for the Hookers.
Jacque send Incollingo in for his second goal of the game just 38 seconds into the third period, the the league's leading scorer did it again eleven seconds later to give the Hookers a three goal lead. But just when it looked like lights-out for the Pioneers, a succession of penalties allowed them to claw their way back. Eric Fisher scored for Park City at 18:21 on the powerplay from Babbit and Ward. With Jacque off for holding, the Pioneers' Tom Gatta made it a one goal game at 13:16 from Liotta and Spawton.
With the Pioneers knocking on the door, Hookers goalie Chris Bratt came up with a succession of big saves, setting the stage for a wild finish. After gaining a face-off in the Hookers' zone with just under two minutes remaining, the Pioneers pulled goalie Oliver Freij for an extra attacker. But the plan backfired when Jacque sent Incollingo free for an empty net insurance goal at 1:24. With the clock winding down, Spawton caught the Hookers' Kim with an inadvertent high stick in the neutral zone, opening his lip and chipping a tooth. Spawton drew a double minor but the game was over.
Notes: Incollingo's four goals and assist increased his league leading total to 28 goals and 42 points. Hookers goalie Bratt faced 55 Park City shots, stopping 49. Freij had 24 saves for the Pioneers. The Pioneers return home to face the Rebels of Salt Lake on March 11. The Hookers travel to Aspen for games on March 1 and 2.
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