A thriller in Minnesota IBLA action with The Minneapolis Wheat Kings staging a come from behind overtime win, 11-10 against the Eastside Freeze. Overtime in Minnesota means IBLA action. This one was a strange one to be certain. The first period would end with a 4-4 score, Giuseppe Palermo (4g,1a) started the scoring for Minnesota with a goal with just :49 played.
To the Action
Rawley Scherman set up Jordan Rodriguez (1 g, 2a) at 7:35 then Scherman (2g,1a) did it himself and with 8:19 played, the Freeze found themselves with a 2-1 lead. Alex Johnson set up Palermo on the man advantage to knot things up before Denton Jackson (1g,1a) put the Freeze back in front. Nick Midboe got the helper on Palermo’s third marker of the period but, Jeff Sondag (1g) scored shorthanded at 16:55. At 19:56. Noah Lindner scored the last goal either squad would get for nearly 22 minutes.
In a rarity, neither team hit rope the entire second period so, off to the third they would go with it even at 4-4. Colin Hoch (4g,1a) all in the third, put the Freeze in front with just :56 played. Will McKinney (2g,2a) stretched the lead to 6-4 followed by Joey Saba (1a) and Jackson were playmakers on a Hoch goal at 3:30. Palermo checked in with his fourth to cut it to a one-goal game with 14:09 remaining. Hoch set up Rawley Scherman to put it back to a three-goal difference at 8-5.
Midboe went back to work setting up Lindner with Alex Johnson (2g,1a) and Palermo dishing off to MIdboe (1g,2a) and just like that, we had a tie game at 8-8. McKinney turned playmaker with a pretty feed that Hoch deposited in the Wheat Kings net. Bodin Nichols (1g) tied it again and with 2:47 to play, the fans were on the edge of their seats. Brian Hughes (1g) gave Eastside the go-ahead tally and the Freeze needed to run off the final 1:50 to walk away with a win.
The FInale
Rodriguez hit Hoch in stride and we were tied yet again with just three seconds on the clock. Alex Johnson put a dagger in the hearts of the Freeze and the Wheat Kings improved to 5-0 with the Freeze falling to 1 and 2. A chippy game resulting in 16 penalties being whistled with each squad having 8. Overtime in Minnesota is how it all ends.
Kevin has followed and promoted the game of lacrosse since May 19, 1974.
The same day the Philadelphia Flyers won the Cup, the Philadelphia Wings were introduced to Neibauer and Philadelphia.
Kevin has covered many sports, including baseball, football, basketball, and.. lacrosse. A former licensed football referee and baseball umpire, Kevin brings a unique insight to his game coverage.
A published writer in JustHockey Magazine, Kevin covered the American Hockey League as well as a monthly story on a pugilist where Kevin used the pen name, The Rink Rat. Neibauer turned his attentions to lacrosse for a few years and does his part, whether podcasting or writing to grow the game. Kevin branched out to his roots and currently provides insight for all Philadelphia teams for Edge of Philly as well as his full-time duties with LaxPhilly.
