MEDIA RELEASE
By: Brian Smith
Jack Jasinski’s Philadelphia Wings debut could not have been a bigger one, as the second-year pro scored 2:56 into overtime to give the Wings their first-ever victory over the Halifax Thunderbirds by a 16-15 final. Jasinski’s diving shot across the crease that beat Thunderbirds goaltender Warren Hill completed a comeback from a deficit that was as deep as four goals at one point, and gave Philadelphia a crucial victory to go to 2-2 on the young season.
The Wings did not lead the contest until Jasinski’s heroics. Halifax scored the first two goals of the game and the clubs jockeyed back and forth from there to reach a 4-4 tie just over five minutes into the second quarter. But the Thunderbirds went on a 4-0 run to take an 8-4 advantage, and led 10-6 at halftime.
However, Philadelphia used a strong third quarter to claw back, cutting the lead to two with two quick goals and ending up with five total in the frame to Halifax’s two, narrowing the gap to 12-11 at the third quarter break. It was then 15-13 with five minutes to play, but the Wings got the last two goals of regulation over the course of 41 seconds from Ben McIntosh and Sam LeClair and knotted up the score at 15-15. That set the stage for Jasinski’s heroics.
Offensively, the Wings were led by Mitch Jones, who had a trademark four-goal, four-assist game. Joe Resetarits contributed a goal and six assists, and by doing so became the all-time points leader among American-born players in NLL history. Taite Cattoni contributed a goal and five assists, Sam LeClair had two goals and two assists, and Tanner Buck also bagged a pair of goals. It was all part of crucial contributions that Philadelphia received up and down the lineup, as Isaiah Davis-Allen, Alex Pace and Marcus Minichiello all contributed a goal apiece.
Defensively, Zach Higgins had a game for the ages. He made 53 saves, two short of his career high and the Wings franchise record, as the Thunderbirds put 68 shots on goal in the contest. That’s a franchise record for shots faced by the Wings, topping the 66 that Buffalo fired on March 8, 2019.
Philadelphia now gets set for a four-game stretch at home starting next Sunday, Jan. 7 when they welcome in the New York Riptide.