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WILDCATS STEAL POINTS IN DYING SECONDS

By Clare Wall - Friday, March 7, 2008
Sport/Ice hockey
SWINDON Wildcats dealt the cruellest blow to the Wightlink Raiders on Sunday when they scored the game-winning goal with just eight seconds remaining of their English Premier League match.
The game was poised for overtime and potentially even penalties, as there was so little to differentiate between the two teams.
But a shot from Jan Vrtik squeezed through Raiders netminder Toby Cooley’s legs and crept over the line for an agonising finish.
The Raiders had more than matched Swindon play for play and outshot the Wiltshire side 49-46 but it was Swindon who took the lead after just four minutes, when Adam Brittle scored from Robin Davison’s pass.
Raiders piled on the pressure to equalise soon afterwards and came incredibly close to doing so on several occasions, but it was almost as though an invisible force was preventing the puck from finding the back of the net.
They could not find an equaliser until the 45th minute, when, in a goalmouth scramble, Juraj Rusic tapped in from Robert Franc’s shot.
But their effort was all in vain when Vrtik’s goal stole the points for Swindon.
Man of the match was Damon Larter.
On Saturday the Raiders let a good lead slip against Telford Tigers, who scored four goals in the final period to win 6-4.
Danny Hughes put the Raiders ahead in the eighth minute, from Rusic’s assist but it was cancelled out by Milan Kostolny.
Hughes made it 2-1 early in the second period but Tigers pulled back a goal through former Raider Gareth Owen. A powerplay effort from Rusic restored the Raiders’ lead. However, the Tigers rallied in the final period, with Owen scoring twice more to seal his hat-trick and Ryan Stanton adding a fifth to give the home side a two-goal lead.
Jason Coles reduced the deficit with five minutes left but his effort was again cancelled out by Kostolny, who ensured the win.
Man of the match was Robert Franc.
Raiders travel to Slough tomorrow (Saturday) before the final home game of the season on Sunday, again against Swindon. Face off is 5.30pm.
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