Ball Hockey Team Win Opener In New Jersey
Bermuda’s Sunken Harbor Soca Kings opened their National Ball Hockey League Championship campaign with a 7-6 shootout victory over the South Jersey Space Pirates in New Jersey.
Competing in Tier Two, the Soca Kings secured the win through Robbie Bailey’s decisive shootout conversion after Christopher Jackson equalised with 16 seconds remaining in regulation.
South Jersey took an early lead through Carter Shourds, but Jeremy Estey and Jake Fenske responded to put the Soca Kings ahead. Ryan Phillips brought the Space Pirates level before Fenske scored his second goal, giving Bermuda a 3-2 lead at the first intermission.
Matt McPhail extended the advantage early in the second period. Although Matt Marchese pulled a goal back for South Jersey, Bailey restored the two-goal cushion to send the Soca Kings into the final period leading 5-3. Jackson assisted on both of Bermuda’s second-period goals.
The Space Pirates responded with three unanswered goals in the third period. Shourds scored his second, Charles Rudolph equalised and Mike Stief put South Jersey ahead with less than four minutes remaining.
Jackson, who had already recorded three assists, then scored from passes by Fenske and Estey to make it 6-6 with just 16 seconds left.
Bailey subsequently converted the deciding shootout attempt to secure the Soca Kings’ opening victory.
