With just 22 seconds remaining and netminder Sam Gospel pulled, the puck broke kindly for Archie Hazeldine in front of the Raiders net after Brandon Whsitle’s initial shot rebounded clear, the 17-year-old defenceman being quickest to react and force it home past Raiders goalie Ethan James.
Having pulled it back to 2-2, the momentum seemed to be with the home team but, after losing the opening face-off in 3-on-3 overtime, they never got a chance to take the second point on offer, Lukas Sladkovsky dashing down the right wing before cutting in and evading the attentions of the Knights’ Kieran Brown and Sam Zajac before lifting the puck over Gospel’s right shoulder.
It was an unexpectedly quick and harsh end to the game for the Knights and their fans but, after having already won 2-1 at league leaders Sheffield Steeldogs the previous evening, they could be satisfied with a three-point haul.