Stars, Black Sabres skate to 2-2 tie in third postseason game

The Squirt Stars and Black Sabres skated to a 2-2 tie in the third playoff game for both teams. It was decided only after both coaches conferred with the two referees at center ice after the contest was thought to have been completed.

Black Sabres goalie Ryan Ruggiero kept his team in the game in the first period as the Stars tested him early and often. Denied on shots from point blank range were Ben Warda, AJ Aquilino and Jimmy Kirkpatrick.

Breaking the ice for the Black Sabres was Scott Stone, with Emma Ruggiero earning the helper.

All-star Steven Zaprowski answered for the Stars in the second period, beating Ruggiero high to the glove side.

Ben Battaglia, assisted by Neal Greiner, gave the Stars a 2-1 lead 88 seconds later.

Stone then notched his second goal, assisted by Ryan Ostrowski, tying the game at 2-2.

Nineteen seconds later, Henri Fromme scored a goal that each referee had a different opinion of. One signaled goal, the other felt the net was off its mooring before the puck went in. After a 10-minute delay, it was decided the goal counted, giving the Black Sabres a 3-2 lead.

The third period was scoreless as Ruggiero and his Star counterpart, Christian Aichinger, were brilliant in stopping several scoring chances, none bigger than Ruggiero's save on Kirkpatrick's breakaway with one minute left.

After the center ice meeting, the refs and coaches agreed the third Sabre goal should not count, providing the 2-2 final.

Outstanding two-way plays were made by the Black Sabres' Tom Roesch, Jordan Scinta and Josh Wrest and Ryan Ostrowski, and the Stars' Heather Casselman, Justin Bystrak, Patrick Irving, Christian Cretella and Ben Warda.