Koper nets game-winner for Chiefs in spectacular overtime win
KITCHENER, Saturday, May 17, 2008 It was <i>déjà vu</i> all over again as the second game of the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup Tournament, which pitted the Belleville Bulls against the Spokane Chiefs at the Kitchener Auditorium, necessitated overtime to crown a winner.
Both teams seemed a bit nervous in the opening minutes of the first frame, and although they came out hitting, there were very few quality scoring chances.
But the offensive draught quickly subsided as the Chiefs’ Drayson Bowman scored the contests first goal on a partial breakaway at 9:52 of the first period after receiving a phenomenal pass from winger Chris Bruton. Spokane took a 2-0 lead under three minutes later thanks to a wrist-shot from Mitch Wahl that beat goaltender Mike Murphy on his glove side. Bowman then recorded his second marker of the game, burying a rebound opportunity past the sprawling Belleville backstop.
It was a totally different story in the second period as the Bulls battled back. Bryan Cameron cut the lead to two at 2:27 and Shawn Matthias followed it up by recording his first goal of the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup Tournament with a spectacular wrist-shot from down low that raised the spirits of the several hundred Belleville fans who kept busy by shaking their cow horns throughout the game. The Bulls kept coming and Cory Tanaka pounced on a juicy rebound to tie it up at three with less than one minute to go.
Tanaka would register his second goal of the night at the 7:33 mark, but Bowman would tie it with his third goal of the night with just less than three minutes remaining to force overtime.
Levko Koper would put his team into a frenzy with the game-winner at 4:46.
"I just went to the net and jumped on the rebound," said the hero. "It is definitely the biggest goal of my career. We played a very good team tonight, a team that has great offensive skill. We’ll try to keep it going."
Game three of the 2008 MasterCard Memorial Cup Tournament goes Sunday between the Kitchener Rangers and the Spokane Chiefs starting at 4:30 pm (ET) on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS.
