Under-11 Thunder stage stirring comeback at home game

By Rob Vogt
It was do or die time for the Claresholm Under-11 Thunder hockey team.
Trailing 5-4 with time ebbing away, and Claresholm beginning to press, Thunder player Kyden Vandervalk grabbed a loose puck and began to pull away from his Cremona checkers.
As he looked to turn a partial breakaway into a full-fledged shot on goal, he was hauled down by Cremona with 1:51 to play in the game.
Claresholm went on the power play, but Cremona was successful in killing the man advantage.
Then, with 37.4 seconds to play, Vandervalk was again hauled down on a rush to the Cremona goal, giving Claresholm a two-an advantage.
Coach Landon Flynn called time and gathered in his troops.
He asked Vandervalk if he could win a face off.
Vandervalk nodded he could.
The ref dropped the puck, Vandervalk won the face off to Heath Flynn who got the puck to Dakota Sundquist. She slid it over to Vandervalk who beat the Cremona goalie to the game with 30.7 seconds to play.
The crowd erupted as the impossible had become possible.
Bu the Thunder were not done yet. They still had a man advantage with 30 seconds to play.
Again, they took control of the puck, and this time Briar Smith got the puck to Vandervalk whose wrist shot beat the Cremona goalie high on the stick side.
Incredibly, with 17-3 seconds left to play, Claresholm had taken a 6-5 lead.
They would win the ensuing face off and Sundquist took control of the puck, killing the last few seconds of the game.
The Claresholm Under-11 Thunder had sent their fans home in a frenzy with a stirring last-second victory in Central Alberta Tier-6 action on Sunday, Feb. 25.
Vandervalk had given Claresholm a 1-0 lead after the first period with an unassisted goal.
Heath Flynn made the score 2-0 with help from Rowynn Zentner and Shaeya Flynn, then Sundquist upped the lead to 3-0 on the power play with an unassisted goal.
Cremona would respond with two goals two minutes apart to make 3-3 the score after two periods.
Cremona kept on pressing, tying the game with just over four minutes gone in the third period, going ahead a minute later, then stretching their lead to 5-3 seven minutes after that.
Heath Flynn brought the Thunder to 5-4 with an unassisted goal with just under six minutes to play, setting the stage for Claresholm’s last-second heroics.
Claresholm goaltender Talon Cross earned the win in net, making some key saves in the third period.
For his efforts, Heath Flynn was named the player of the game.
The Thunder will be back on the ice for another post-season game on Sunday, March 3, when they host Strathmore.
Opening face off is at 1:30 p.m. at Claresholm Arena.