The Philadelphia Wings staged an epic fourth quarter comeback to defeat the Toronto Rock by a final score of 12-11.
Down 10-6, the Wings ripped six unanswered goals in the fourth quarter, forcing Toronto coach Troy Cordingley to pull goalie Pat Campbell in favor of the veteran Bob Watson with seven minutes to play. Though Watson would only surrender one goal after entering the game, that one goal—scored by the Wings’ Matt Danowski—would prove to be the difference.
Taking home the game’s MVP honors, forward Drew Westervelt turned in a hat trick and three helpers for six points. Westervelt’s final two goals sparked the 6-0 fourth quarter run and brought the crowd to its feet in his response to his hyper-athletic, mid-air scores. Brendan Mundorf netted a hat trick of his own and was instrumental to the team’s success; from scoring goals to setting up teammates to participating in multiple scrums with disgruntled members of the Rock, Mundorf did it all.
While Toronto tried to stop the bleeding via a change in net, all-star goalie Brandon Miller stayed rock solid for Philly. Turning aside 31 of 42 shots faced, Miller made a number of key stops late in the game to preserve the Wings slim lead.
After Westervelt’s two goals to start the fourth, the crowd at the Wells Fargo Center came alive, screaming like a play off birth depending on it. In a particularly dramatic moment, Wings defender Brett Manney—who scored his first goal as a Wing earlier in the evening—played to the crowd following Max Seibald’s tying goal at 10-10. Manney raised his arms and began imitating Allen Iverson’s famous hand-to-the-ear to further stir the fans, whose support played no small role in the win.
The last chance to see the Wings at home in the Wells Fargo Center is Sunday, April 10. The Wings host the Rochester Knighthawks at 2:30 p.m.
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