CORALVILLE, IA – Tommy Parrottino scored twice in the span of 14 seconds to tie the score, but Pascal Laberge scored 58 seconds into the extra session to give the Kansas City Mavericks a 5-4 victory over the Iowa Heartlanders on Wednesday. It was four unanswered goals that gave Kansas City the lead, but three goals in the span of 38 seconds helped to force overtime. Alec Broetzman and James Sanchez each had two assists for the Heartlanders. Laberge scored two goals and Nick Pastujov had a goal and two assists for the Mavericks.

Iowa jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one as Broetzman had two assists in the frame. Tyler Busch put his team on top 5:03 in the contest when he netted his 11th goal of the season. Tommy Parran fired a shot from the point that missed the net, but took an Iowa bounce off the boards out toward the right side of the net. Busch outraced a Mavericks defenseman for the puck, lifting the backhand attempt over the shoulder of Dillon Kelley to make it 1-0.

Eight minutes later, Carson Denomie extended the lead to two with his third goal of the year. With Iowa on the power-play, Kevin McKernan passed the puck along the blueline to Denomie, who lifted a wrist shot that went just inside the far post.

Iowa was in control of this game, but Kansas City tied the score with two goals in the second period. The first came when Laberge scored his first goal of the night just after the 11-minute mark. Pastujov carried the puck into the Iowa end trying to make a pass, but the puck was tipped back toward the blueline. That is where Laberge picked it up, lifting a wrist shot that found the far corner past the blocker of Hunter Jones to make it 2-1.

Just 47 seconds later, Joshua Lammon tied the score with his eighth goal of the year. A great tic-tac-toe place set up the goal, as Theo Calvas made a perfect outlet pass across the ice to Pastujov at the redline. He fed it back to Lammon just before he entered the Iowa zone. Lammon moved down the right side of the slot, lifting a wrist shot that beat Jones to the blocker to knot the game at two.

Kansas City was on a roll and would take the lead 7:51 into the third. Cole Coskey led a rush out of his own end through the neutral zone and into the Iowa end. He passed the puck across to Hugo Roy who fed it back to Coskey near the net. Coskey slipped past an Iowa defenseman, redirecting the puck into the upper corner for his 16th goal of the year.

At 12:05, Pastujov gave the Mavericks a two-goal advantage. The Mavericks forward read a clearing pass attempt perfectly, deflecting the pass back into the Iowa zone. There he outraced an Iowa defenseman for the puck, then moved toward his left. As he was going toward the far post, a Heartlanders defenseman began to pull him down, but Pastujov was able to lift the puck over the top of Jones and in to make it 4-2.

The Heartlanders were suddenly down, but responded 14 seconds later when Parrottino scored his first goal of the game. He carried the puck out of his own end, through the neutral zone and into the Kansas City end. Parrottino then split between two Mavericks defenseman, heading in on goal where he put a backhander through the legs of Kelley to make it 4-3.

Just 24 seconds later, Parrottino tied the game with his 15th goal of the year. With Iowa on the power-play, Kelley had made a number of great saves during a mad scramble in front of the Mavericks net. After a shot by Nolan Orzeck was saved, the puck went to the side of the net where Parrottino stuffed it in to tie the game at four.

That sent the game to overtime where Laberge made short work of the extra session, scoring 58 seconds into the extra frame. Laberge carried the puck into the Iowa zone, drawing all three Heartlanders defenders toward him before sending a backhand pass across to Lammon. Laberge then headed straight for the net, receiving a pass back from Lammon and tipping it by Jones with the game-winner.

The overtime loss dropped Iowa to 3-1-3 during their seven-game homestand. Jones stopped 35 shots while Kelley saved 19.

The Iowa Heartlanders (13-26-13) will head to the road to take on the Cincinnati Cyclones (33-12-8) on Friday. Cincinnati is 9-0-1 in their last 10. The puck drops at 6:35 Iowa time.

Gamesheet

by Robert Pannier