Thunder rolls Stampede

DUNEDIN Thunder scored a lastgasp victory against reigning champion SkyCity Stampede on Saturday with a goal five seconds before the buzzer.

Thunder beat Stampede 43 in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League matchup.

It had lost 52 on Friday evening at the Queenstown Ice Arena.

‘‘It was a tough game — they’re a good team and they came hard all game,’’ Stampede head coach Adam Blanchette said.

‘‘We just couldn’t really finish them off. They’re solid and [the final goal] was deflating.’’

‘‘We’re pretty confident where we’re at as a team but couldn’t finish them. They were just the better team at the end.’’

Thunder forward Joseph Orr opened the scoring 13min 28sec into the first period on Saturday but Stampede hit back with two goals from Mike McRae.

Tristan Darling levelled in the second, before McRae scored his hattrick.

But thirdperiod goals from Ben Gavoille, on 58min 49sec and Brandon Egli on 59min 55sec earned Thunder the win.

On Friday, Stampede was dominant, leading 21 in the first period, 32 in the second and then pulling away with two goals in the third.

Stampede is third in the league with nine points after playing six games, behind West Auckland Admirals, which leads with 12 points from five games, and Botany Swarm, with 10 from five. It still has to play Swarm four times, and Admirals twice in Queenstown.

Thunder is fourth of five teams, with nine points from eight games.