Winter weather didn’t stop the Ottawa Black Bears as they defeated the Georgia Swarm by a score of 14-10. Three Black Bears recorded hat tricks (Larson Sundown, Jacob Dunbar, Jeff Teat) while Zach Higgins did what Zach Higgins does best and made 41 saves in goal.
Game breakdown
The Swarm’s Lyle Thompson opened the scoring at 1:40 into the first quarter. Originally ruled no goal, Georgia challenged the call and it was overturned which gave the Swarm a 1-0 lead off Thompson’s team-leading 15th goal of the season.
Thompson struck again 11 seconds later to double the Swarm’s lead to 2-0.
Giving the Swarm a 3-0 lead was Joey Cupido with his fourth goal of the season at 2:14 into the game.
Larson Sundown opened the scoring for the Black Bears with his second of the season at 6:48 into the quarter, cutting the Swarm’s lead to 3-1. The lone assist on Sundown’s goal went to Jacob Dunbar, his sixth of the season.
The Swarm struck back just under two minutes later, when Bryan Cole scored his 11th goal of the season to restore Georgia’s three-goal lead.
Kiel Matisz buried his third goal of the season with 2:59 remaining in the opening quarter as the Black Bears successfully killed off a Georgia power play. The goal, which cut the Swarm’s lead to 4-2 with assists going to Taggart Clark and Jeff Teat. The goal not only marked Matisz’s third goal of the season, but the 200th of his career.
Less than a minute later, Taggart Clark scored his fourth goal of the season and suddenly it was a one-goal game. His second point of the night, Clark’s goal was assisted by John LaFontaine and Matt Marinier.
After the opening quarter, the Black Bears trailed by a score of 4-3.
The Black Bears kicked the second quarter off with a tying goal just 23 seconds in. It was Connor Kearnan with his fourth goal of the season to tie the game at 4-4. Matt Marinier earned the lone assist on the goal, his second of the game.
A power play opportunity saw the Black Bears convert with 20 seconds remaining on the man advantage at 2:07 into the quarter. Giving Ottawa their first lead of the game was Jacob Dunbar with his team-leading 11th goal of the season. Jeff Teat and Larson Sundown both received credit for assists on Dunbar’s goal.
Lyle Thompson tied the game 5-5 when he completed the hat trick at 6:59 into the second quarter.
Jeff Teat scored his ninth goal of the season to give the Black Bears a 6-5 lead with 46 seconds remaining in the half. Jake Stevens picked up the lone assist on Teat’s goal.
Thanks to the final-minute goal from Jeff Teat, the Black Bears headed into halftime up by one at 6-5.
It was back-to-back goals for Jeff Teat who scored his second of the game just 1:28 into the third quarter, doubling the Black Bears’ lead to 7-5. Larson Sundown and Kiel Matisz both picked up assists on Teat’s goal.
Getting one back was Lyle Thompson with his fourth of the game at 2:34 to cut the Black Bears’ lead back to one.
Larson Sundown buried his second of the game on a three-on-two opportunity to regain a two-goal lead for the Black Bears at a score of 8-6. John LaFontaine picked up his second assist of the game while Andrew Borgatti got his first.
Trading goals back and forth, the Swarm got one back at with Bryan Cole’s second of the game to get the Swarm back within one.
Tying the game was Lyle Thompson with his fifth goal of the game less than 20 seconds later.
Jacob Dunbar regained the lead for the Black Bears with 5:43 remaining in the quarter, his second of the game. Assists on the go-ahead goal went to Connor Kearnan and Jeff Teat.
Larson Sundown completed the hat trick just 1:22 later with a goal from behind the net to extend the Black Bears’ lead to 10-8. Jeff Teat picked up his sixth assist of the game while Taggart Clark picked up his second.
With just 7.5 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Jacob Dunbar completed a hat trick of his own to put the Black Bears up 11-8. Jeff Teat and Kiel Matisz were both credited with assists on the goal that gave the Black Bears a three-goal lead.
Shayne Jackson scored his fifth goal of the season to open the scoring in the fourth quarter, cutting the Black Bears’ lead to two.
Taggart Clark buried his second of the game with 6:59 to play, returning the Black Bears’ three-goal lead. Larson Sundown and Matt Marinier each earned an assist on Clark’s goal.
Scoring next was Connor Kearnan with his second of the night, putting the Black Bears up 13-9. Receiving credit for the assists were Jacob Dunbar and Ron John.
Bryan Cole scored a hat trick of his own with 3:33 remaining in the game to cut the Black Bears’ lead to 13-10.
Just 18 seconds later, it was yet another hat trick, this time off the stick of Jeff Teat. Coming with remaining in the game, the goal restored the Black Bears’ four-goal lead. Assisting the goal was Connor Kearnan, his second of the game.
The Swarm were unable to answer the Black Bears’ offence and Ottawa walked away with a 14-10 victory in their last of three straight road games.
The Black Bears will be back at it next week when they return home next on January 17 to take on the Vancouver Warriors for the first time. Grab your tickets to the game HERE!
