Hofer, T-Birds beat I-91 rival in goaltending duel win in a shootout

Story By: Matthew Wiernasz

Photo Courtesy of the Springfield Thunderbirds

SPRINGFIELD, MA- Matthew Highmore and Matthew Peca were able to score goals in the shootout for the Springfield Thunderbirds as they defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 1-0 on Friday night at the MassMutual Center.

The game was scoreless until the shootout. Thunderbirds goaltender Joel Hofer made 10 saves while Wolf Pack goaltender Louie Domingue made seven saves.

The Thunderbirds would continue the momentum in the second as they fired 16 shots at Domingue including seven shots in the first six minutes of the second period.  Domingue denied scoring chances point blank from T-Birds forwards Greg Printz and Mitchell Hoelscher.

The best scoring opportunity for the Wolf Pack was when Turner Elson fired the shot that beat Hofer but rang off the crossbar.

After 65 minutes of play, both goaltenders earned a shutout. It was onto the shootout. Both teams could not score in five rounds. T-Birds forward Matthew Highmore was able to change that in the sixth round of the shootout. Highmore lifted the forehand shot over Domingue’s glove to score.

The Wolf Pack would tie it in the sixth round of the shootout.  Defenseman Adam Clendenberg was making his debut for the Wolf Pack.  He would beat Hofer blocker side to keep the game going as the shootout was tied at 1-1.

Matthew Peca would go in the seventh round of the shootout. Peca was able to score as he fired the shot over the glove of Domingue to make it 2-1.

Bobby Trivigno would go for the Wolf Pack and would be denied by Hofer for his 20th win of the season and his third shootout of the year.