News release
17 March 2006
Kalamazoo, MI The Elmira Jackals got a 38-save performance from goalie Tyson Gajda and forward Sam Paolini scored the game winning in the final second of regulation to propel Elmira to a 3-2 win over the Kalamazoo Wings Friday night at Wings Stadium.
Kicking off the game with green ice and a green-clad home team, the Jackals silenced a sold-out crowd by striking gold on their first power play of the night. Jarrett Konkle received a great pass from Jason Sessa and the teams goals leader blasted a one-timer from the hash marks past goaltender Joel Martin at 3:18; Sessa and defenseman Bobby Gates assisted on the power play goal. But Kalamazoo would not lie dormant for long. Damian Surma found space in front of the Elmira net and roofed a wrist shot at 6:44 to tie the game. The K-Wings out-shot the Jackals 15-6 in the opening period.
Elmira again pulled ahead early in the second period when Gates sent a long pass from his own blue line, releasing Chris Chaput on a breakaway. Chaput collected the pass, faked a shot, pulled the puck to his backhand and beat Martin with a great move for a 2-1 lead at 7:29. The assist was Gates second of the game and 7th of the season. Elmira again withstood a late barrage to maintain the lead going into the intermission.
The Jackals were called for three-straight minor penalties, from the last minutes of the 2nd period into the early part of the third. Elmira managed to kill off the first two, but with a mere 3 seconds remaining on Chris Chaputs holding penalty, Daniel Carrieres slap shot from the blue line ricocheted off the dislodged helmet of Kory Karlander and past Tyson Gajda for a power play goal at 10:58. The helmet was sitting on the ice, near the side of the crease, having been knocked off of Karlanders head earlier in the power play. But the fortunate bounces were not solely in Kalamazoos corner. With only a few seconds remaining in the game, and a shootout almost guaranteed, Chris Chaput chipped a puck past two K-Wings out to center ice. Anthony Blumer was rushing up the ice, but had to reach back to get the puck behind him. With his momentum slowed, Blumer had only one option and that was to pass the puck along the red line to Sam Paolini. Paolini was streaking up the right wing, but had the puck caught in his skates. He managed to corral the biscuit and gain the zone with only 4 seconds remaining. Paolini then unleashed a desperations shot from two steps inside the blue line. His slap shot was heading 4-feet wide of the far side of the net, when all of a sudden, it hit Kalamazoos Lucas Drake in the shin pad and redirected right though the legs of goalie Joel Martin and into the net with 0.4 seconds on the clock. The buzzer-beating goal stunned the crowd of 5,413 screaming fans expecting a shootout and sent the Jackals into a frenzied celebration.
Tyson Gajda was outstanding in goal for the Jackals, stopping 38-of-40 shots in the game for his 3rd win of the season. He threw in some impossible saves during his stellar performance. Joel Martin took the loss in goal for Kalamazoo; making 17 saves on 20 Elmira shots. The Jackals were 1-for-3 on the power play, while the K-Wings were 1-for-4.