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KEELEY: (SAT) RONNING RESCUES MARINERS IN OVERTIME

Ronning scores with 5.6 left in OT in Brampton

BY: Michael Keeley, Howlings

BRAMPTON, ON – January 12, 2019 – After losing the lead late in the third, the Mariners were outshot 8-1 by the Brampton Beast in overtime, but the one was all they needed to come up with a 4-3 win on Saturday night at the CAA Centre. Ty Ronning scored with 5.6 seconds left in the 3-on-3 to extend his point streak to ten games and gain the Mariners an important two points.

The Mariners played a dominant first period, outshooting Brampton 21-7 and got a 2-0 lead on goals by Drew Melanson at 3:23 and Jason Salvaggio (PPG) at 17:09. Melanson buried a rebound produced by a Dillan Fox wraparound for the game’s first goal and Salvaggio scored for his fourth game in a row with a blast deflecting off a Brampton defenseman.

The Beast got an early power play goal from defenseman Matt Petgrave at 4:18 of the 2nd period to slice the lead in half and eventually tied it six minutes later when Erik Bradford got in alone and deked Hannu Toivonen. The Mariners again won the shot battle, 10-9 but the game was tied at two after 40 minutes.

At 4:41 of the third, Morgan Adams-Moisan blocked a shot at the Mariners blue line and skated all the way in on Beast goaltender Etienne Marcoux, beating him with a forehand move for his 12th of the season a 3-2 Mariners lead. From then on, Brampton dominated puck possession, relentlessly attacking in the Mariners zone until Bradford finally tied the game up at 17:47, ripping a shot just off the inside of the post and in. Brampton won the shot battle 14-3 in the third to force OT.

Toivonen, who stood tall through the third period, continued his strong play in OT, turning aside eight more shots. In the dying seconds, Ronning skated away on a two-on-one with Ryan Culkin and beat Marcoux’s blocker for the game-winner on the Mariners’ lone shot of OT. Toivonen got his second win of the season, making 35 stops. Marcoux stopped 31 in the loss.

The Mariners and Beast wrap up the season series on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM at the CAA Centre. Maine will return home and greet Newfoundland on Wednesday, January 16th at 7:00 PM. Tickets can be purchased at MarinersOfMaine.com or by calling 207-775-3458.