Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks Defeats Fairfield Warde-Ludlowe 2-1 in Double Overtime Thriller

After nearly two full overtime periods, Dylan Balfore made sure the 90-minute trip home for the Suffield-Granby-Windsor Locks boys hockey team would be an enjoyable one.

The senior blasted home the game-winner from just inside the blue line with 1:51 left in double overtime on Tuesday, giving the Wildcats a 2-1 victory over Fairfield Warde-Ludlowe in the first round of the Division II state tournament at the Wonderland of Ice in Bridgeport.

Suffield (12-8-1) persevered despite losing two players to injury. Ryan Dineen suffered an apparent concussion early in the third period and Travis Crosby had to be helped off the ice early in the first overtime with what appeared to be a knee injury.

"I don't even know how our guys' hearts fit inside their chests," Suffield coach Nick Boorman said. "Phenomenal all the way around. Every single player played with heart. They never quit. This is what we prepared for all year. I'm just the luckiest man on Earth to coach this team."

Suffield will take on top-seed Guilford in the quarterfinals on Friday at a site to be determined.

Warde-Ludlowe (9-12) can point to an ineffective power play, which was 0-for-6 with the man advantage.

"(There were) a lot of missed opportunities on the power play, a lot of missed opportunities in general," Mustangs coach Mark Pettorini said. "There were a couple where we could have ended the game (in overtime)."

Both goalies played superbly in an emotional, hard-hitting contest with Suffield's Mitch Crosby recording 46 saves. Connor Frawley turned aside 27 shots for Warde-Ludlowe.

The Mustangs' defense was outstanding in the second and third periods and the first overtime, allowing only 11 shots.

Fairfield's only breakdown came midway through the second period when Stephen Zaczynski was left alone in front. He took a centering pass from Ryan Kertanis and beat Frawley with a one-timer at 7:19.

Mitch Crosby was at his best in the second period, but the Mustangs finally tied it early in the third following a hustle play by Chris Santello.

The goaltender got a glove on Santello's slap shot from outside the right faceoff,  but let the puck drop to the ice and it straddled the goaline. It probably would have stayed out, but Santello rushed in to poke the puck into the net 2:30 into period.

The Mustangs had the better scoring chances for the remainder of the third period and first overtime, but couldn't convert.

"We've got to score more than one goal," Pettorini said. "You can't go very far in the playoffs scoring only one goal."

The Wildcats seemed to find added energy in the second overtime and peppered Frawley with more shots. The 10th one of the period sent everyone home.

"It was a product of hard work and [from a] guy that probably logged more minutes in the entire game than anyone else besides the goalies," Boorman said. "He deserved to get it. Dylan Balfore, one of the rocks on our team, the heart and soul of the team, put one in for us."

Even though he was on the losing end, Pettorini was glad to be part of a classic game that reminded him of the  five-overtime epic between New Canaan and Notre Dame of Fairfield in the 1999 Division I state championship game that lasted two days.

"That was about as fun as it gets, to coach, to watch, on both sides," Pettorini said. "They played great, we played great. It was up to the hockey gods tonight. It's shift to shift [in overtime] and one mistake cost us the game."