The Okotoks Marauders worked overtime to buck a season long trend.
Gage Turner scored shorthanded 30 seconds into overtime to secure the Marauders a come from behind 13-12 triumph over the Red Deer Rampage on June 19 at Murray Arena to snap a seven-game losing streak in the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League.
“That’s a huge morale boost to the team,” Turner said. “We’ve been having a lot of trouble the last couple years coming together as a squad and I think that was a really big show of what we can do in this league.
“We’re battling for a spot in playoffs and that win tied us for the last spot.”
Facing a four-goal deficit in the face after two periods, the Marauders found their legs in the third period and made the most of its lethal powerplay to quickly crawl back.
Goals on consecutive shifts from Taylor Haince and the fleet-footed Cody Bomersine trimmed the deficit in half. Okotoks then took advantage of a five-minute powerplay as Taylor McNeill had all net to shoot at on a backdoor play before returning the favour to teammate Josh Vaines to level the score at 11-11 midway through the final frame.
The Marauders then jumped out in-front when McNeill unleashed an outrageous behind the back pass for Turner to lift into the short side of the cage.
Then it was Red Deer’s time to strike on the man-advantage, again levelling the score at 12-12 with five minutes remaining.
Okotoks continued to tempt fate with more ill-timed penalties, including a four-minute double minor with just over two minutes on the clock.
Netminder Kyle Vernon had other ideas. The 20-year-old shot stopper needed to be in unstoppable form in the final minutes and he was.
Vernon sent the game to overtime with a jaw-dropping effort with 12 seconds left in regulation to stonewall the wide-open Chris Vawter of the Rampage.
“I just said I’ve got to keep the ball out of the net,” Vernon said. “I didn’t play that well in the second period and just had to keep it solid because if not there goes another game.
“I just kept thinking we can’t lose another game.”
In the extra session, Turner was first to a loose ball and turned on the jets for a partial breakaway before again finding the short side on the netminder.
Overtime breakaway goal in shorthanded fashion, not exactly how they drew it up.
“It’s hard to have a plan when you’re down a man with five minutes left and you can not let them score,” said Turner, an alternate captain. “We said to our defence if you guys are lights out, we will put something away for you.
“As soon as I picked it up I saw the guy was five feet behind me and I knew I had the game.”
Okotoks (3-11) gets back on the floor on June 24 when it welcomes the Calgary Chill to Murray Arena. The Marauders then tackle the Calgary Mountaineers in what could determine the final playoff spot in the South Division on June 30.
For full schedule information go to rockymountainlax.com
