The Halifax Thunderbirds scored nine unanswered goals in the second half to defeat the host Vancouver Warriors 10-7 on Friday in the quarterfinal matchup.
The Thunderbirds, who trailed 7-1 at halftime, were led by Jason Knox’s four goals and two assists. Clarke Petterson contributed two goals and three assists, Mike Robinson added two goals, and Jake Withers scored the go-ahead goal in the fourth quarter. Warren Hill finished with 36 saves, including a shutout performance in the second half.
Keegan Bal had a hat trick and three assists for the Warriors. Marcus Klarich scored two goals, and Jesse King added a goal and a game-high four assists. Goalie Christian Del Bianco made 61 saves.
Vancouver appeared to be in complete control, building a 7-1 lead by halftime on Bal’s three goals. However, the game flipped in the third quarter. Halifax erupted for six goals, including three from Knox, to tie the score 7-7 heading into the final period.
The Thunderbirds’ momentum continued into the fourth. Withers broke the tie with an unassisted goal with 11:07 remaining to give Halifax its first lead of the night. Petterson and Robinson added insurance goals to complete the nine-goal run and seal the improbable playoff victory.
ESPN Generative AI Services creates recaps from event data and/or transcripts that are reviewed by human editors before posting; email support@espncustomercare.com for corrections.
