In a back-and-forth affair with seven ties and five lead changes, the Albany Attack withstood a final Columbus Landshark surge, holding on for an exciting 13-12 victory in front of an announced crowd of 3,230 in the Pepsi Arena in downtown Albany.

Game MVP Josh Sanderson scored two of the four goals in the decisive fourth quarter for the Attack, while the Sharks were led by Kasey Beirnes' five goals and Gewas Schindler's five assists.

Columbus opened the scoring of the game with a strike by Neal Powless, beating what was, for the first five minutes, a lethargic Attack team. At the first media timeout, the shots on goal were 6-0 in favor of the Landsharks. However, right out of the break, Albany forced a turnover, and Jim Moss scooped up the loose ball and went 150 feet all alone to tie the score at one. Mike Regan and Nick Trudeau followed quickly, and the Attack jumped out to a 3-1 lead. The Landsharks were able to stem the tide, and got back to within one late in the first quarter, with a goal by Bill Greer.

Cam Woods started the second stanza with a quick strike only twenty-three seconds in, bringing the lead back to two. However, Powless responded three minutes later, and then the Beirnes Show began. He scored his first goal of the night to even the score at four. Albany responded with a three-goal run of its own, highlighted by a nice power play goal by Dan Teat. Columbus answered right back, scoring two goals in the next sixty seconds from Beirnes and Brent Rothfuss to slash the lead to 7-6.

Beirnes came out of the locker room the way he went in, scoring the first two goals of the quarter to give Columbus its first lead since the initial goal of the game. The two teams traded goals for the rest of the third quarter. Gary Rosyski tied the score, only to have Kyle Arbuckle give the Sharks the lead again just 30 seconds later. Brian Beisel evened the game at 9-9 eight minutes into the quarter, but Beirnes finished his five-goal night by scoring in the final minute to end the quarter with the 'Sharks on top 10-9.

Josh Sanderson scored on a shorthanded breakaway to even the score at ten early in the fourth, and Mike Regan was able to finally restore the Attack to the lead with a goal as he flew across the crease area. Barrett Church would tally soon after for Columbus, bring the 'Sharks into their final tie of the evening. Albany's defense stepped up over the next six minutes, and eventually, Josh Sanderson and Mike Ladouceur each tallied for the Attack to springboard the home team to a 13-11 lead. Church would strike again on a goal that just snuck under goaltender Rob Blasdell's arm, but Columbus had no more answers in the final two minutes. Blasdell ended the game with 37 saves on 49 shots, while Mike Miron tended the Columbus net well, making 42 saves on 55 attempts.

The Attack moves into sole possession of first place overall with the win, moving to 8-2 on the year, and will face the Buffalo Bandits tomorrow night at the HSBC Arena. Columbus, which falls to 4-6 with the loss, will also face Buffalo at HSBC Arena in its next game, but that's a week from Saturday.

BOX SUMMARY
                                      1  2  3  4     TOT
Columbus Landsharks (4-6)             2  4  4  2  --  12
Albany Attack (8-2)                   3  4  2  4  --  13

COLUMBUS LANDSHARKS           ALBANY ATTACK
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
Beirnes        5 - 0     5    J Sanderson    2 - 3     5
Schindler      0 - 5     5    Teat           2 - 3     5
Church         2 - 1     3    Trudeau        1 - 2     3
N Powless      2 - 1     3    Regan          2 - 0     2
Arbuckle       1 - 2     3    M Ladouceur    1 - 1     2
Greer          1 - 2     3    Rosyski        1 - 1     2
Jamieson       0 - 3     3    Woods          1 - 1     2
Rothfuss       1 - 1     2    R Sanderson    0 - 2     2
Dawson         0 - 1     1    Beisel         1 - 0     1
Floris         0 - 1     1    Moss           1 - 0     1
                              Santos         1 - 0     1
                              Blasdell       0 - 1     1
                              P Sanderson    0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           49    Shots on goal           55
Saves made by (GA)      42    Saves made by (GA)      37
   Miron (13)        42          Blasdell (12)     37
   Wetherup (0)       0
Penalties               11    Penalties               10
Penalty Minutes         25    Penalty Minutes         20
Power Play Chances       7    Power Play Chances       8
Power Play Goals         2    Power Play Goals         4
   Beirnes            1          Beisel             1
   N Powless          1          Rosyski            1
                                 J Sanderson        1
                                 Teat               1
Shorthanded Goals        1    Shorthanded Goals        1
   Arbuckle           1          J Sanderson        1
Loose Balls             54    Loose Balls             82
   D Suddons          8          Moss              13
   Beirnes            7          Woods             11
   Jamieson           5          Blasdell           9
                                 R Sanderson        9
Faceoffs Won            16    Faceoffs Won            14
   Warder       (15-13)          Fannell      (14-16)
   Jamieson     ( 1- 0)
   Powless      ( 0- 1)

   *** STATS OFFICIAL BY VERIFY WITH ALBANY ATTACK ***