Captain Highmore Lifts Hammers Past Wolf Pack in Overtime Thriller
Thursday night at TD Coliseum saw an offensive explosion as the Hamilton Hammers erased multiple deficits to secure a 5-4 overtime victory against the Hartford Wolf Pack during their Halloween Game presented by Cottage Country. Captain Matthew Highmore delivered the game-winning goal just under a minute into the extra frame, netting his second of the night and sealing the team’s first victory on home ice.
The matchup brought together two teams searching for consistency early in the campaign, with Hamilton entering the night at 3-6-0-1 and Hartford at 4-6-1-0. The Hartford Wolf Pack and Hamilton Hammers renewed a former rivalry in a frantic contest that required overtime to resolve.
A Wild First Period Sets a Fast Pace
Goaltenders Josh Kotai and Spencer Martin faced heavy traffic right from the opening whistle. Hartford struck first while shorthanded just under eight minutes into the contest when Jaroslav Chmelař slipped a shot past Kotai. The Hammers answered only 27 seconds later on the power play, as Hunter Drew tipped home a point shot from Kashawn Aitcheson.
The Wolf Pack quickly regained momentum. Matthew Robertson found the back of the net, followed shortly by Brody Lamb to extend Hartford’s lead to 3-1. Hamilton chipped away before the first intermission when Cole Eiserman buried a chance off feeds from Liam Foudy and Quinn Finley, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Hartford held a 13-10 edge in shots through the opening twenty minutes, maintaining a one-goal advantage heading into the second frame.
Matthew Highmore put on a show in the AHL, scoring two goals including the overtime winner as the Hamilton Hammers defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 5-4.The Hammers captain does it all for his club, playing on both special teams and coming up clutch.#AHL #NovaScotia #HockeyX… pic.twitter.com/wZgPks1kgM
Special Teams and Key Performances Drive the Comeback
Hamilton seized control of the game during the middle stanza. Cam Thiesing tied the game with his second goal of the season. Shortly after, Highmore capitalized on a five-on-three power play to push the Hammers ahead 4-3. Ryan Healey and Quinn Finley notched the helpers on the play, with Healey recording his first career professional point following a four-year collegiate career at Harvard University.
The visiting Wolf Pack refused to go away quietly. Early in the third period, Marc Del Gaizo struck on a two-man advantage to knot the score at 4-4. Both goaltenders stood tall through the remainder of regulation, turning aside late power-play opportunities at both ends of the ice. Kotai finished the night with 29 saves on 33 shots to earn his second consecutive victory for Hamilton, while Martin stopped 30 of 35 shots for Hartford.
Highmore Scores Overtime Winner to Defeat Syracuse
Carrying a power play into the extra frame, Hamilton wasted little time ending the contest. Highmore converted just under a minute into overtime, with Eiserman and Finley picking up the assists to cap off productive nights. Highmore earned first-star honors, while Finley took second star after recording three assists.
The victory provides a crucial morale boost as Hamilton hits the road to face the Syracuse Crunch on Friday, followed by a Sunday matchup against the Utica Comets. The Hammers return to TD Coliseum on November 4 to host the Toronto Marlies for Student Night presented by Mohawk College.
🚨HAMMERS GOAL🚨OT GOAL SCORED BY HIGHMORE
🚨HAMMERS GOAL🚨Matthew Highmore give the Hammers the lead
