Thunderbirds drop overtime decision to Rock
Mar 13, 2026
HALIFAX, NS (March 13, 2026) -- The Halifax were able to claw back and force overtime on Friday night, but they came out on the wrong side of the final, losing 14-13 to the Toronto Rock at Scotiabank Centre.
Clarke Petterson paced Halifax again on the night, finishing with a season-best 10-point outing, while Mike Robinson and Brendan Bomberry combined for five goals while each finishing with four points.
Cody Jamieson had a three-point night, and both Jason Knox and Will MacLeod registered a goal and an assist apiece.
Warren Hill had 41 stops on the night, but unfortunately came out with the loss in this game.
Halifax opened the game strong, getting back-to-back goals to open the first. Will MacLeod got his first off a strong back cut to the crease before Robinson followed up with a rebound finish to make it 2-0.
Toronto bounced back with a run of their own, as Dan Craig, Josh Jackson, and Josh Dawick put the visitors into the lead. But with under 10 seconds left in the frame, Nonkon Thompson laid out a Rock player, leading to a chance in transition the other way. Petterson stung a shot with under a second left to tie things back up 3-3 through 15 minutes.
The back and forth continued into the second. Mark Matthews and Owen Hiltz had the Rock up by a pair in the first six minutes, but back-to-back tallies from Petterson and Bomberry tied up the game. Latrell Harris found another for Toronto in transition, as they carried a 6-5 lead into the break.
Jason Knox started off the second-half scoring, ripping a low-to-high shot home on the man advantage to make it 6-6. Hiltz got that goal back shortly after, but Petterson and Jamieson gave Halifax its first lead since the first quarter.
Toronto came back with goals from Chris Boushy and Dawick, pushing back ahead 9-8. Robinson got his second on the power play in the final minute of the third to send the teams into the final quarter deadlocked at nine.
On the first touch of the fourth, Hiltz put Toronto back ahead. But from there, Halifax had its biggest run of the game. Jamieson scored his second of the game, getting a step on his defender and bouncing a shot home past Nick Rose. Curtis Romanchych found the net for the second time this year, six minutes later, streaking in and burying a transition chance. Robinson completed his hat trick, stuffing a shot home 20 seconds after Romanchych's goal. That had Halifax ahead 12-10 with seven minutes to play.
But the Rock chipped away. Rookie Sam English got one goal back in transition, and then, the Toronto captain put his stamp on the game. Challen Rogers tied the game, and then with a minute to play, he put his team ahead 13-12.
Halifax pulled Hill, looking for the equalizer, and their righties would find it. Petterson flipped a beautiful behind-the-back pass to Bomberry, who crease dove and beat Rose with 21 seconds to go, eventually sending the game into overtime.
In the extra frame, the two teams traded chances, but after Halifax couldn't find the winner, it was Dawick ending the game for the Rock at the 9:02 mark.
The Thunderbirds now sit at 5-8 on the year following the loss. They'll be back in action in a week's time, when they travel to Georgia for a matchup with the Swarm. Face-off is at 8:30 p.m. AT.