Boston Gold Kings Edge Norfolk Mallards in Overtime

Boston Gold Kings Edge Norfolk Mallards in Overtime

Attleboro, MA- February 15, 2025- In a game filled with non-stop action and intense back-and-forth scoring, the Boston Gold Kings came from behind to defeat the Norfolk Mallards 8-7, securing a dramatic victory in a wild contest.

The Mallards set the tone early, dominating the first period with a flurry of goals. The scoring started just 51 seconds into the game when Matthew Pelletier found the back of the net with a wrist shot off an assist from Jake Morgan and Kyler Harding. The Mallards didn’t let up, doubling their lead just 13 seconds later with Jake Morgan's goal, assisted by Kyle Nicolas. At 18:40, Harding made it a 3-0 game, finishing off a pass from David Piela. The Gold Kings attempted to respond, and Brian Bilafer's power-play goal at 7:28 briefly cut the deficit to two goals, with assists credited to Thomas McCarthy and Brian Cebula. However, Norfolk responded almost immediately with Jack Halloran's goal at 7:06, pushing the Mallards back to a three-goal lead at 4-1. The Gold Kings weren't finished, as Matt Baldino's unassisted goal at 36 seconds left in the first brought Boston to within two at 4-2, giving them some momentum heading into the second period.

Boston came out of the gate swinging in the second period, but it was Norfolk’s Kyler Harding who struck first, scoring on the power play at 18:27, assisted by Halloran and Joey Briffett, to make it 5-2. Kyle Nicolas extended the Mallards' lead further with an even-strength goal at 17:26, assisted by Aidan Parker and Jake Morgan. The Gold Kings began to chip away at the deficit. Baldino was the catalyst again, scoring his second goal of the game at 11:58, assisted by Devin Humfryes, bringing the score to 6-3. Norfolk quickly responded with Josh Hogue’s goal at 10:49, assisted by Morgan and Pelletier, to make it 7-3. Boston wasn’t going down without a fight. Christian Baldino’s goal at 5:27, assisted by Matt Baldino and Nick Pitarys, kept the pressure on, reducing the gap to 7-4. A short-handed goal by Matt Baldino at 1:51 brought the Gold Kings within striking distance at 7-5. Then, with just seconds remaining in the period, Brian Cebula potted a power-play goal, unassisted, to make it a 7-6 game heading into the final frame.

The third period saw both teams pushing for the win. At 7:26, Boston completed their comeback as Nate Althoff netted an even-strength goal with the assist from Brian Bilafer, leveling the game at 7-7. The stage was set for a dramatic finish.

With just over four minutes remaining in overtime, it was Brian Cebula who completed the Gold Kings’ remarkable comeback, scoring the game-winner at 4:22 of the extra frame. The assists on the play came from Spencer Smith and Thomas McCarthy, securing an 8-7 victory for Boston.

Goaltending Stats

Boston’s Chris Baker started in net, making 20 saves on 26 shots before being replaced by Kyle Mahan, who stopped 26 of 27 shots in relief, finishing with a stellar save percentage of .963. On the other side, Mike Boccuzzi faced a barrage of 49 shots for Norfolk, stopping 42 of them, good for a .857 save percentage.

3 Stars of the Game

1. Matt Baldino- Boston- 3 goals 1 assist

2. Kyle Mahan- Boston 27 saves on 26 shots & the Win

3. Jake Morgan- Norfolk- 1 goal 3 assists

Looking Ahead

Both teams will be closing out their regular seasons next weekend. Boston will be busy every night. They will be home vs Holyoke Friday, away at Salem on Saturday and back home Sunday vs Norfolk. The Mallards will be on the road against Holyoke Saturday and again on Sunday when they travel to play the Gold Kings.