ERIE, PA. – The Guelph Storm rallied from a three-goal deficit to tie the game then won it on an unusual play in the third period Saturday night against the Erie Otters.
Erie scored three times in the opening 10:04 of the game on Storm goaltender Brayden GIllespie to lead 3-0 before Braeden Bowman got one back for Guelph on the power play, making it a 3-1 game after 20 minutes.
Bowman's second of the game early in the second, and a MIchael Buchinger goal, made it 3-3 heading into the third period.
Then one of hockey's more unusual plays unfolded.
Guelph's Cooper Walker high-sticked an Erie player and with Erie holding possession, goaltender Kyle Downey headed to the bench for the extra attacker on the delayed penalty. But an errant back-pass by an Otters player slid into the opening net for what would be the decisive goal of the game.
Hunter McKenzie got credit for the goal as the last Storm player to touch the puck, even though McKenzie was sitting on the bench when the puck went into the Erie net.
Guelph will play in Hamilton on Wednesday. Next home game isn't until Jan. 20.
The Storm sits in seventh place in the Western Conference standings.
