Express Down Snipers

SPRINGFIELD EXPRESS @ DALLAS SNIPERS

Express strong late in games, post sweep

01.05.18 – Springfield 9, Dallas 4

01.06.18 – Springfield 5, Dallas 4

01.07.18 – Springfield 7, Dallas 3

The Springfield Express managed to take three straight games on the road from division rival Dallas by finishing strong all weekend and pulling away in games that were close into the third period.

Friday’s series opener was close through two periods but the Express scored the last five goals of the game to win, 9-4.  The Snipers had leads of 1-0 and 3-2, but Stephane Doering’s second goal of the game gave Springfield a 5-4 lead with 3:25 left in the second period.

Akos Szigeti and and Arkhip Ledenkov each scored twice in the final period for Springfield with Szigeti completing a hat trick.

Doering finished with five points (2-3-5) while Vegard Faret and Nikita Sokov each collected four assists for Springfield.

Karsten Portell had a pair of goals for Dallas.

Chad Purdy (17 saves) entered the Springfield net in the second period and stopped all nine shots he faced in the final frame to preserve the win.

Saturday’s game went deep into the third period tied, 4-4, but Dallas put Springfield on the power play with just over four minutes left in regulation and the Express cashed in for the winning goal.

Doering won the faceoff to the right of Dallas netminder Manny Legace and the puck went back to Arkhip Ledenkov at the blue line.  He slid it across to Faret and he wired a sharp wrist shot past Legace for what proved to be the winning goal.

The game was tied, 3-3, after 40 minutes.  Sokov gave Springfield the lead 5:42 into the frame, but Eric Eaton tied it up for Dallas a little over three minutes later.

Trevor Borlace picked up assists on three of the four Snipers goals.  

Legace made 40 saves for Dallas, but it was Springfield’s Connor Green (28 saves) who picked up the win.

The Express completed the sweep with a 7-3 win on Sunday.  Two goals in the first 3:17 of the second period gave Springfield a 4-0 lead.  The Snipers scored three times in the second period to close the gap at 5-3, but the Express responded to quell the comeback attempt.

Seven different players scored for Springfield, including Doering, who had three assists, and Sokov, who had a pair of helpers.

Purdy made 15 saves for the Express.  Dallas netminder Rafael Goncalves was much busier, facing 53 shots and making 46 saves, including 20 in the third period.

by Scott Harrington/Harrington Sports Media