The Olds Stingers won their 2012 Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League home opener in style on Sunday at the Olds Sports Complex, when Eric Pouliotte scored with just 13 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Stingers a 4-3 victory over the Medicine Hat Sun Devils.
The overtime goal was just the cap to the heroics, as Bryce Sweetman scored the equalizer on the power play for the Stingers with 1:21 left in the third to send it into overtime.
The Stingers dominated on the shot clock, outshooting the Sun Devils 43-20 through 60 minutes, while Medicine Hat managed six shots in overtime to the Stingers' three.
“Their goalie was an excellent goalie. You can't take anything away from him, and it was just persistence on our part to continually bring the ball to the net and with that, the boys didn't give up,” said Michael Bouma, the Stingers' head coach, following the game.
“As you can see with the shots on net, their desire to play through all that, paid off in the end,” he said.
Tanner Barton opened the scoring for the Sun Devils, while Nick Rutley tied it up before the first period was up. The Stingers took the lead in the second period on the power play, with a goal by Colby Freeborn. The Sun Devils regained the lead before the second was up with two goals by Brody Smith and Calen Anton.
Despite the Stingers' best efforts with numerous chances on a five-minute power play in the third period, Brett Selwood kept the Stingers from tying it with numerous saves.
Bouma said despite 18 minutes in penalties for the Stingers, they persevered through all the penalty killing, were able to keep their focus, and direct as many shots as they could against the Sun Devils' nets and eventually were rewarded.
“We can't get frustrated on how many penalties (we take) and the reason (for them). It was just the fact that (the players) lost focus for a little bit, but through the latter part of the second and following through to the third (the players) regained their focus and control and that's what brought them through to the end of the game,” he said.
The Stingers now sport a 3-1 season record, with the team's next matchup on May 22 against the Lacoka Locos in Lacombe. The next home action for the Stingers is a May 25 game against the Rockyview Silvertips at 7:30 p.m.
"As you can see with the shots on net, their desire to play through all that, paid off in the end."Michael Bouma, coach, Olds Stingers
