2 3rd Period Goals From Lukas Give Watertown The Win

Columbus, GA - The Watertown Wolves took the first round of the military town battle with two goals in the third period from Jamie Lukas for a score of 6-4.

Watertown opened the scoring in this one when Kyle Powell found a puck sitting loose in the crease off of a Tyler Gjurich shot and he tapped it home for the game's opening goal.

Columbus would get the lead back though quickly. First Ivan Bondarenko finished off a play where Tim Santopoalo fired one through Jeremy Pominville and landed on the goal line. Bondarenko gave it the final push for his 7th of the season and it was 1-1. Then 1:25 later Jay Croop fired home on a backdoor play set up by MJ Graham.

Watertown would respond before the period would end though as Joseph Deveny fired home a beauty on the power play over the left shoulder of Jared Rutledge and he made it 2-2.

Columbus would take the lead into the locker room when Yianni Liarakos gave a herculean effort shorthanded and even though he lost the puck in the corner of the offensive zone, battled to get it back and pass it to CJ Hayes who wristed a shorty by Pominville for a 3-2 score.

In the second period Columbus would double their lead when Liarakos got a goal of his own after great work underneath the goal line by Santopoalo and Bondarenko. The pass hit Liarakos on the tape inside the left circle and he fired it glove side for his 7th of the year.

That was all the scoring Columbus would get though as Watertown rattled off four straight to close out the game. First it was Deveny again on the power play with Gjurich playing a great pad pass off of Rutledge onto his tape for his 17th of the season. The Wolves would tie up the game with the brothers Desjarlais combing for the goal. Dallas fed Michael in the slot and it was 4-4 with a shot low to the glove hand on Rutledge.

The third period was the Jamie Lukas show as he fired in two goals on odd-man rushes, first with 28 seconds off the clock in the third period to give Watertown their first lead of the night. Then Lukas fired another one home when Anton Lennartsson broke up a pass on a 3-on-1 but his pass breakup left it all alone in the slot for Lukas to score another.

Stephen "Will" Harvey gets the win in this one, Pomminville gave up all four goals and was pulled near the midway point of the game (though not after a goal). Harvey made saves on all 22 shots he saw. Jared Rutledge suffers the loss with 34 saves on 40 shots.

The same two teams go at it again tomorrow on Superhero Night brought to you by The CW Ga-Bama. The first 500 kids 12 and under in attendance receive a free superhero cape. Burger King pregame show is live at 5:35.

Three Stars of the Game

Jamie Lukas (WTR)
Tyler Gjurich (WTR)
Yianni Liarakos