EF skates by Connellsville in OT

By Jamie Rankin

For the MV Independent

The Elizabeth Forward hockey team headed into the Ice Mine in third place in the PIHL Division B standings Thursday. 

By the end of the night, the Warriors hadn’t moved up, but they had improved their chances of reaching the playoffs with a 3-2 overtime victory against host Connellsville.

The Falcons (7-5-0-2) led for a good portion of the game, with Garrett Mears finding the net late in the first period. Zak Koslosky and Ian Zerecheck added the assists as the home team took a 1-0 lead.

In the second, an already aggressive contest got even more physical, as both teams spent some time in the penalty box. Then, near the end of the period, things got a little more offense-oriented, as Zach Motil tucked the puck just under the crossbar to tie the game. 

But less than a minute later, Milan Deffibaugh answered off a pass from Lukas Joseph to put Connellsville back in front, 2-1.

“It was a tough game,” Elizabeth Forward head coach John Zeiler said. “Connellsville is a good team. They battle all the way through.”

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