FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. – If there were a hockey equivalent to a baseball game being called due to rain, it occurred this afternoon at the Crown Coliseum, as Zamboni issues would force the Marksmen and Thunderbolts to play their rubber match in a game with 20 minutes of play and a shootout.
The game would start a bit after the scheduled start time due to initial Zamboni issues that seemed like routine maintenance for the most part. Following the six-minute delay, the first period would go on like any other for the two foes who played an outstanding weekend battle, and would seem like a classic Sunday afternoon tilt after an outstanding weekend affair. This time around, it would be the Thunderbolts who would strike first blood, as Austin Plevy would score a shorthanded goal with just over seven minutes to go in the first – his first goal in some time. Despite going scoreless on their two power plays during the frame, the Marksmen would score what would end up being a massively consequential goal with just under two seconds left in the first, as Alec Marsh would find the back of the net yet again on an impressive weekend.
