Thunderbirds fall to Bandits in Overtime

Mar 10, 2023

BUFFALO, NY (March 10, 2023) -- In the second matchup in as many weeks, the Halifax Thunderbirds (5-7) came out on the wrong side of the final score, dropping a 10-9 final in overtime to the Buffalo Bandits (10-2) at KeyBank Center on Friday night.

The game opened as a low-scoring affair with just a single goal in the opening quarter. Randy Staats got the Birds on the board first at the 3:15 mark after having a goal called back earlier in the game. 

In the second, the hosts took the lead off the strength of a pair of Josh Byrne and Chris Cloutier. Chris Boushy and Tyson Bell broke up the goals with answers for Halifax, but Nathaniel Kozevnikov added another to send Buffalo into halftime with a 5-3 lead.

But it was the Thunderbirds who answered back to open the second half with a five-goal quarter of their own. 

After an early marker from Cloutier, Halifax tallied five straight, with Staats starting things off. Boushy, Eric Fannell, and Ryan Benesch all had markers during the run. 

The run would continue to open the fourth, as Boushy completed the hat trick to put Halifax up 9-6. But that would be the last goal they’d score. Buffalo scored three straight to end the fourth, sending things to overtime. 

In the extra frame, the teams traded possessions before Cloutier found the winner on an outside shot. 

Now sitting at 5-7 on the year, the Thunderbirds return to The Nest on Mar 18 for a matchup with the Toronto Rock. Opening face-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. AT.