Mooretown, ON – Spencer Bronzi went to rush behind the net but instead found Kurtis Glowa in front for a last minute power play goal, as the Mooretown Flags escaped with two points on Saturday night after letting a three goal lead slip to the Alvinston Flyers.

"Alvinston has a good hockey club and they came to play tonight," said Flags Head Coach Bruce Aberhart. "Our guys battled hard enough and long enough that we came out with the two points."

 

Mooretown came into Saturday's game three points ahead of the Flyers in the North Division, with the Flags winning three of the four games this season against the Flyers including Saturday nights, and the fourth was an overtime loss.

 

The Flags power play accounted for the majority of the goals on the night, going 4 for 10. Alex Dawson got the scoring started in the first after Alvinston took a four minute penalty for high sticking. His shot got through a screened goal for the early 1-0 lead. Under a minute later Dan Lumley would add the second power play goal on the same penalty, picking up a rebound shot off the end boards from Dylan Lightfoot and putting over a sprawling Flyers goal.

 

Mooretown continued to score in the early second period as Jeff Schroeter scored his team leading 22nd goal of the season alone in the slot, putting a wrist shot past James Morreau for the 3-0 Flags lead.

 

Alvinston would get a responding goal as Dan Warner would come in off the wing and beat Ganter. The Flags though would head back to the power play and with a shot put on Morreau, two Flags would fight for the puck in front and Spencer Bronzi would finally get it past the goalie to restore the three goal lead.

 

Mooretown may have took their foot off the gas, as Alvinston began to storm back into the game. Chris Edwards would work a give and go with Dan Warner, pulling Ganter far out of his net to cut the lead back down to two goals. And with the Flyers getting on the power play, Dylan Lightfoot would receive a pass from Chris Edwards from behind the net and cut the lead down to one at the end of the second period.

 

The Flyer would complete the comeback in the early minutes of the third, as Parker Simpson would get a rebound of Ganter and tie the game at 4-4, erasing three goal leads the Flags had. Despite the comeback, Mooretown would recapture the lead off Glowa's goal late in the period, and despite a last second shot by the Flyers, the Flags would hold on to keep the game out of overtime.

 

"As we did last week we out skated Wallaceburg, we out skated Alvinston and it showed," said Aberhart. "The chances were there. But then they turned things around. They have the offensive power to turn things around in a hurry if you take your foot off the gas for a minute."

 

Andrew Ganter made 22 saves for his 12th victory of the season and his third straight. Ganter has only one loss in his last six starts.

 

Mooretown has two games left in 2012, a trip to Blenheim on Sunday, December 18th and a return match to Alvinston on Friday, December 30th. Once the calendar turns to 2012, the Flags will have 10 games remaining, and look to be on top of the North Division heading into the new year.

 

"As a coaching staff we have set some goals. Obviously finishing as high as we possibly can is one of them," said Aberhart. "We know what it is going to take to finish on top of the standings."