Warren Hill Surpasses 1000 Saves, Backstops Strong 10-8 Thunderbirds Win Against Wings
Feb 27, 2022
Warren Hill Surpasses 1000 Saves, Backstops Strong 10-8 Thunderbirds Win Against Wings
PHILADELPHIA (February 26, 2022) – Goaltender Warren Hill stood on his head for the Halifax Thunderbirds (7-1) all Saturday night long, surpassing 1,000 career saves and helping the visiting team win 10-8 against the Philadelphia Wings (5-6) at Wells Fargo Center.
An early offensive onslaught catapulted the Thunderbirds ahead in the second meeting between the two Eastern Conference foes. Even though the Wings tied the game up in the second quarter, it was the closest they would get to the Thunderbirds for the rest of the night.
Clarke Petterson kicked off the scoring with a jumping goal over the crease. Chris Boushy followed with a similar jump and dunk that withstood a Wings’ challenge flag, and Stephen Keogh’s first of the night – a shorthanded goal – gave the Thunderbirds a 3-0 lead. Hill recorded 14 saves, including his 1000th career save on his third stop, in the first frame.
It took a little over five minutes into the second quarter before Kiel Matisz slipped down the center for the Wings’ first goal of the game. Two more goals would be scored before Eric Fannell received a slick feed from Keogh, and the Thunderbirds regained the lead. A Colton Armstrong transition goal and pick-and-roll goal from Stephan Leblanc capped the third three-goal run of the game. The Thunderbirds headed to the locker room up 6-3.
Over nine minutes elapsed in the third quarter before Nonkon Thompson netted his second goal of the NLL season, pulling up in transition to bury a twister. Matt Rambo recorded his second of three goals, running a route to get inside to the crease. However, Fannell had the final say in the quarter, swimming past his defender for his first multi-goal game of the season.
Up 8-4, the Thunderbirds had a comfortable lead heading into the final frame. But a hard pick from Ian Llord led to him netting his second goal of the season, cutting the Thunderbirds’ lead to just four goals. An extra attacker opportunity saw Keogh bury a quick-turn goal in the middle of the Wings’ defensive set, and he followed that up with an easy hat trick as he slipped between defenders.
Now up 10-5, the Thunderbirds would need to hold on to emerge victorious. Unfortunately, a trio of goals from Rambo, Brett Hickey, and Rambo again narrowed the goal differential to just two. The Thunderbirds beared down in the final few minutes, and a strong stop one-on-one with the Wings player trying to get the ball to his offense killed plenty of clock and forced a desperation shot. The final buzzer rang with the Thunderbirds winning 10-8.
Leading the way this time for the Thunderbirds was Keogh with five points (3G, 2A), followed by Petterson’s four (1G, 3A). Fannell was the only other player to net multiple goals, and eight other players recorded a point. Hill finished the night with 44 saves for an .846 Sv%.
Rambo led the home team with six points (3G, 3A), and Crowley was close behind with five points (1G, 4A). Zach Higgins earned the loss between the pipes, as he made 39 saves for a .796 Sv%.
The Thunderbirds return to Scotiabank Centre to take on the Vancouver Warriors on Saturday, March 5. Face-off is set for 7:00 p.m. AT.
Due to provincial restrictions, there are a limited number of tickets available to Saturday’s game. Fans can secure season tickets to watch the return of championship-calibre professional lacrosse in Halifax by visiting https://ticketatlantic.co/thunderbirds or by calling or texting 902-334-2333.