DURHAM, N.H. - Simon Jellus scored with 19 seconds left in overtime to lift Vermont (9-12-3, 4-8-2) to a 3-2 win over No. 18 New Hampshire (10-9-3, 2-8-2) Friday night in Hockey East action from the Whittemore Center.
COACH'S QUOTE
"What a response by our boys," said Head Coach Steve Wiedler. "They had a lot of reasons to just bail on that game, to feel sorry for themselves but they did the opposite. Just really proud of their never say die attitude."
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Wildcats opened the scoring with a fortuitous bounce 7:26 into the first period. A Cy LeClerc one-timer from the top of the circle deflected off a Vermont defender's stick and past Keenan Rancier to make it 1-0.
- UNH doubled its advantage with a power play goal with 4:48 to play in the opening frame. Ryan Conmy rang a hard shot off the post and then got his own rebound and stashed it past a diving Rancier. Luke Reid and Robert Cronin earned assists on the play.
- Spitserov cut the UNH lead in half with his seventh goal of the season with 3:33 to play in the middle frame. In transition Simon Jellus made an aggressive move towards the net and centered the puck. His centering feed deflected off a UNH skate and Spitserov pushed it past UNH's Jared Whale. Jax Wismer earned the secondary assist on the play.
- Just 2:26 later Spitserov tied it up at two with the Catamounts' own fortuitous bounce. Max Strand cut into the UNH zone and fired a shot towards Whale, it deflected off of Wismer and went right to Spitserov who snapped it home for his first career two-goal game.
- The shots were an even 11-11 in the third period, but neither team could find the game-winner in regulation.
- In the final seconds of overtime Sebastian Tornqvist tapped the puck into open space in the neutral zone. Jellus gathered the puck with speed and deked around a UNH defender with a slick between the legs move before cutting in on Whale and beating him to the post with a backhand to forehand move for his seventh goal of the season.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
- With tonight's 3-2 decision, Community Bank N.A. will donate $225 to Special Olympics Vermont. Community Bank, N.A. donates $75 per goal to Special Olympics Vermont for every goal the men's and women's team scores this season.
- The Catamounts won tonight which means that Vermont Mutual Insurance will be donating $100 to the Lund Center. A special thank you to Vermont Mutual Insurance for their support. Vermont Mutual Insurance, protecting Vermonters since 1828.
- Since Coach Wiedler has been in Catamount Country Vermont is 6-2-1 against the Wildcats.
- With his two goals tonight Timofei Spitserov has a career-high this season in points with 14. His eight goals this season are tied for second on the team.
- Tonight's overtime winner was Simon Jellus' second career game-winning goal.
UP NEXT
The Catamounts and Wildcats are back at it tomorrow night at 7 p.m. from the Whittemore Center. Saturday's contest will air live on ESPN+ and as always it will also be broadcast live on WVMT (96.3 FM/620 AM) with the voice of the Catamounts Adam Lafleur in the Handy Toyota Broadcast Booth.
