The Albany Attack defeated the Buffalo Bandits in overtime, 15-14, Saturday afternoon. Dan Teat scored the winning goal 2:10 into the extra session after a controversial play that just cries out for the three-referee system to be brought back. The Bandits were robbed, their playoff hopes were severely damaged, and you can place the blame squarely in the laps of the league's competition committee.

The game got off to a slow start with Teat and Mike Accursi getting the only goals of the first six minutes. Josh Sanderson ended the dry spell at 6:21 and Buffalo's John Tavares capitalized on a Rob Blasdell miscue off the ensuing draw to tie the game at two. Blasdell flipped a loose ball from along the boards into the middle of the floor, missing his intended target. Tavares pounced on it and put it into the net Blasdell had vacated.

Albany scored five of the next six goals to open up a 7-3 lead. Nick Trudeau started the run by scoring right at the midpoint of the quarter and Gary Rosyski got one just fifteen seconds later. Roy Colsey had the only interruption to the run with his tally at 8:10. Mike Regan wrapped up the scoring in the quarter with his goal at 11:36. Trudeau struck again at 2:55 of the second on the power play after Jamie Hackel had gone off for interference. Rosyski also struck again at 4:10 by going across the porch from his right to left and firing a backhand against the grain that beat Steve Dietrich on the short side.

Buffalo owned the latter part of the quarter, going on a four-goal run to tie the game at seven by the halftime break. Rich Kilgour scored on a quick stick in front off a beautiful feed from Randy Mearns in the corner at 6:36. Tavares went off for checking from behind, then Rosyski got called for tripping. Pat Maddalena scored during the four-on-four despite being held by Ryan Sanderson at 8:31. Sanderson replaced Rosyski in the box and after Tavares got out Mearns cashed in on the power play at 10:03. Accursi completed the comeback with a shorthanded goal at 13:01.

Jamie Grimoldby opened the scoring in the second half with a bouncer from the point on the power play. Craig Gelsvik had gone off for holding. Shaydon Santos got called for a hold of his own and Tavares cashed in from the slot off a rebound of Accursi's shot that rang the post. Rich Kilgour scored an odd one on the break as his shot got by Blasdell and then sat on the crossbar for a second before falling onto the keepers back and into the net. Albany scored four straight goals to take a 12-9 lead. Rosyski and Trudeau sandwiched a pair of power play goals by Grimoldby. Madalena and Pat McCready got the Bandits back to within one by the end of the third.

Buffalo showed some great defense in forcing shot clock violations and Albany did a great job killing a penalty to captain Cam Woods as the game turned very deliberate. Regan ended a scoring drought for both teams that lasted more than eight minutes with a goal at 6:22. Jonas Derks scored one low on Blasdell at 7:46 and that seemed to be a theme with the Albany keeper. He was weak down low all game long and it was quite the opposite with Dietrich whose strength was covering those shots. They were both piling up the saves, though.

Maddalena scored at 8:11 on a beautiful feed from Kevin Howard. Howard went behind the goal, drew the attention of the defenders, and made a shovel pass out front to set it up. Dietrich stoned Phil Sanderson on a clean breakaway just before Maddalena's fourth goal of the day gave the Bandits the lead at 10:35. Trudeau answered that with his fourth of the day to tie it at 11:51. Rosyski rang the pipes behind Dietrich at about the thirteen-minute mark and Dietrich made a huge save in the last minute by reaching far to his right with his stick to force the overtime.

John Tavares took a wicked crosscheck to the head behind the Albany goal from Phil Sanderson in the first minute of overtime. It should absolutely have been a five-minute major. There is no room for debate on this one. The problem is that neither of the referees saw it so there was no call. Why is that, you ask? Well, this happened as Tavares got a turnover from his press checking. The crew chief was tangled up in the corner with two other players and there was no way he could see two things at once. The trail official was forced to start up the floor when Albany initially gained possession. The technical official was watching the benches in transition as he is supposed to do. The officials complained about this type of thing when the league changed the system. There is a seam in the middle of the floor during transition created by the fact that the technical official is no longer watching the play for fouls. He is mandated to watch the substitution area only.

Regan and Bob Henry went off for roughing and that created a four-on-four. Teat scored the winning goal on a mad dash from the bench to join Brian Biesel on the rush and create a two-on-one.

Steve Dietrich was my first star of the game for his forty-five-save performance and his three assists. Nick Trudeau was my second star for his four goals and five points. Pat McCready was my third star for his terrific play in the defensive end and in his transition play that netted him a goal and five assists.

BOX SUMMARY
                                   1  2  3  4 OT     TOT
Buffalo Bandits (7-6)              3  4  4  3  0  --  14
Albany Attack (11-2)               5  2  5  2  1  --  15

BUFFALO BANDITS               ALBANY ATTACK
               G - A   PTS                   G - A   PTS
McCready       1 - 4     5    J Sanderson    1 - 6     7
R Kilgour      2 - 2     4    Regan          2 - 4     6
Dietrich       0 - 4     4    Trudeau        4 - 1     5
Maddelena      3 - 0     3    Grimoldby      3 - 2     5
Accursi        2 - 1     3    Teat           2 - 3     5
Mearns         1 - 2     3    Rosyski        3 - 1     4
J Tavares      2 - 0     2    Cochrane       0 - 2     2
Colsey         1 - 1     2    Beisel         0 - 1     1
Couling        0 - 2     2    Moss           0 - 1     1
Derks          1 - 0     1    
Langdale       1 - 0     1    
Gelsvik        0 - 1     1
Howard         0 - 1     1
Seller         0 - 1     1

Shots on goal           54    Shots on goal           61
Saves made by           46    Saves made by           40
   Dietrich          46          Blasdell          40
Penalties               12    Penalties                8
Penalty Minutes         24    Penalty Minutes         16
Power Play Chances       3    Power Play Chances       7
Power Play Goals         2    Power Play Goals         4
   Mearns             1          Grimoldby          3
   J Tavares          1          Trudeau            1
Shorthanded Goals        1    Shorthanded Goals        0
   Accursi            1          (None)
Loose Balls             59    Loose Balls             77
   Dietrich          10          Moss              12
   Accursi            8          P Sanderson        8
   Couling            6          Several tied w/    6
Faceoffs Won            16    Faceoffs Won            16
   Accursi      (13-13)          Fannell      (16-16)
   R Kilgour    ( 2- 1)
   Derks        ( 1- 2)

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