Coming into their weekend series the Aspen Leafs and Steamboat Wranglers were tied for second place in the RMJHL standings. It was the final games of the regular season between the two clubs which made the points even more valuable. By the end of the Saturday finale Steamboat had secured two wins and a three point lead on the defending league champion.
In the series opener the Wranglers swarmed the visitors with three opening period goals on their way to a 5-3 victory. Donny Nordstrom started the scoring just :21 into the game, the first of two first period goals for the 19-year old from Denver. Kameron Fink tallied the other Wranglers goal.
Alec Johnson opened scoring in the second period to get the Leafs on the scoreboard. The power play goal was the first of two for Johnson on the night. Momentum quickly went back to Steamboat though when James Shelton restored the three-goal advantage midway through the period.
The Leafs showed heart in the third getting goals from Johnson and Jesus Barrera-Garcia, but it would not be enough.
The rematch looked similar to start as Steamboat would again do all the scoring early on. Fink and Jack McNamara put the Wranglers in command with first period tallies. A pair of goals by Nordstrom and another from Fink made it 5-0 at second intermission.
The game took a wild turn in the third as Aspen chipped away at the deficit. Just :35 into the period Johnson made it 5-1. Barrera-Garcia scored at 2:07 followed by a pair from Jack Allen and out of nowhere the game was 5-4 with over 13 minutes remaining.
It wouldn’t take the Leafs long as Connor Moore tied the game at 13:17 of the period. After building a five-goal lead the Wranglers watched it all disappear in less than a period.
Despite all momentum behind the Aspen Leafs it was Steamboat who would celebrate in the end. Kameron Fink scored the overtime game winner at 4:25 to secure the win. It capped off his hat trick performance and six-point weekend.
Goal by Kameron Fink in sudden death overtime making the score 6-5. Goooo Steamboat Wranglers!! pic.twitter.com/JZMtpfhcla
— Steamboat Wranglers (@SWranglers) January 29, 2017
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