D1 Horde Beat Muskies With Late Nelson Goal; Clinch Playoff Spot

2011-02-27 St, Paul, MN (Highland South):  The D1 Northern Horde played a fired up Muskies line-up and came from behind to win 3-2.  The Muskies came out with guns blazing in the first period and pressured the Horde defense.  After a break to fix the game clock, the Muskies got loose in front of the net on a bad line change and went ahead 1-0.  The Horde regrouped midway through the second when Jon Zimmerman put in a rebound off a Jeff Nelson shot to tie it up.  The McDonald-Zimmerman-Nelson line would continue to apply pressure after giving up that first Muskies goal.  After Nelson made a strong play in the corner to dislodge the puck from the Muskies D, Zimmerman took it behind the net and fed Darren McDonald in front of the net.  His shot rebounded to Nelson who put it in on his second attempt from the back post.  "The Muskies goalie was hot tonight, saving everything in sight, and their D was stifling," said Nelson.  The Muskies answered the call in the third period when the Horde D misplayed a puck in the air to tie it up.  At that point it was game on for the Horde.  Wave after wave of Northern Horde lines took it to the Muskies, whose goalie had a performance reminiscent of the Horde's last game against the Diablos.  "Chris Warlick and Steven Lenzen are still shocked at how the Muskies goalie stopped three breakaways from each of them on the night," said Rob Yurko an hour after game time.  Finally, with less than three minutes to go in the game, Nelson got loose on the right side and slid it near post for a 3-2 lead.  The mettle of the Horde D would be tested again when Zimmerman was whistled for interference with only one minute remaining - his first penalty in over 60 AHA games.  "Really?" was the reaction from Dana Cudo, which was very polite compared to the "Are you F*%KING kidding me" from Gary Schwartz.  Chris Warlick and Stevne Lenzen, still shocked at how the Muskies goalie stopped three breakaways from each of them on the night, weren't even aware the Horde pulled out the victory.  As the scorekeeper said to Zimmerman in the box, "They haven't gotten within 40 feet of your goalie in the third period, even man-down I don't think you have anything to worry about."  The Horde next take on the Icedogs in a D2 reunion late on Sunday night at New Hope.

Posted in: D1 Game Recaps, Game Recaps