Sparkes Fly On Thursday Night

This evening, it was another barn burner at the Amherst Stadium with 13 goals scored and a Ramblers comeback win over the Fredericton Red Wings.

The gears were turning early for the Ramblers, with Owen Sparkes opening the scoring with a shovel shot from the slot. Fredericton wouldn’t let the Rams fans celebrate for long scoring a pair of goals in two minutes. Owen Aura would tie the game up at two from the cross-ice pass from Sparkes. Fredericton would respond right back once again tucking home a pair before the end of the first to lead 4-2 heading to the second.

To start the second Owen Sparkes would score his second of the game making it 4-3. The top line for Fredericton wouldn’t let it stay close for long scoring just over a minute later to restore the two-goal lead. Halfway through the second, Goran Stobo would get a stick on an Alex Christmas point shot to tip it past the Fredericton keeper making it a one-goal game once again. Seven minutes after the Stobo tally, Fredericton would again make it a two-goal game leading 6-4. Just 30 seconds later Owen Sparkes found the loose puck in front of the net and completed the hat-trick to cut the Ramblers deficit to 6-5.

After all the goals in the second, just one would be scored in the third and it would be for the good. Jack O’Blenis would feed Drew MacIntyre and he would guide it into the back of the net to tie the game 6-6  forcing overtime and locking up a huge point in the standings.

In the extra frame, it would be close calls on both ends of the ice with the Ramblers earning a powerplay, they would pile on the pressure but couldn’t get it into the net. Then, as the Fredericton penalty expired Slava Melikov would be sprung on a breakaway fresh out of the box, Lyam LeBlanc would come up with his second biggest save of the game sending us to the shootout.

In the shootout, Fredericton would shoot first Lyam LeBlanc would get a piece of the puck to steer it wide, next the hot hand of Owen Sparkes would be the Rambler’s first shooter and he would beat Fredericton’s keeper low glove to give the advantage to the Rams, the second Fredericton shooter would shoot wide to give Christian Reardon the chance to win the game, he would just miss the top corner putting the game into the hands of Lyam LeBlanc, and as the third Fredericton shooter made his way in LeBlanc would poke the puck off of his stick to secure the curtal second point for the Ramblers.

The Ramblers are back in action on Sunday afternoon as the Yarmouth Mariners come to the Stadium for a big four-point matchup at 2:00 PM.

This Evening’s three stars:

1st Star: Owen Sparkes (4G, 1A)

2nd Star: Lyam LeBlanc (20 SVS)

3rd Star: Slava Melikov (Fredericton)