Green Bay survived a chaotic, high scoring night at the Resch Center on Saturday, outlasting Cedar Rapids 7 to 6 in a shootout to earn an important home win in front of over four thousand fans. The Gamblers and RoughRiders combined for nine goals in the second and third periods alone before Evan Katz delivered the only goal of the shootout to seal the victory.
Cedar Rapids struck quickly when Musa scored just fifty four seconds into the game, but Green Bay settled in and tied it at 11:35 on a goal from Christian Carcone. The opening period ended level at 1 to 1 after late matching majors sent both sides into the intermission shorthanded on the bench.
The second period turned into an offensive eruption. Cedar Rapids regained the lead at 9:08, but the Gamblers responded with four straight goals in a span of just over four minutes. Tucker Gulley buried a power play chance to tie it, Jack Wooten scored his tenth of the season shorthanded, and Caden Conboy followed with his first of the year. Katz added another at 19:04 to stretch the lead to 5 to 2 before Cedar Rapids answered twenty seconds later to cut the margin to 5 to 3 entering the third.
The RoughRiders did not go away. Romeo scored at 1:52 of the third and Musa added another just one second later, stunning the crowd and tying the game at 5 to 5. Wooten collected his second of the night midway through the period to briefly restore the Green Bay lead, but Cedar Rapids answered again at 15:28 to bring the game to 6 to 6.
After a scoreless overtime, the shootout belonged to Green Bay. Katz scored on the opening attempt and goaltender Matthew Slavick stopped all three RoughRiders shooters to close out the win. Slavick finished with 33 saves on 39 shots in one of his busiest nights of the season.
Wooten led the Gamblers with two goals, while Gulley, Carcone, Conboy, and Katz all added one each. Green Bay finished 1 for 2 on the power play and held Cedar Rapids scoreless on their two opportunities.
It's another one in the win column for Green Bay in what has been an up and down first month. The Gamblers return to action next week as they continue their homestand and look to build momentum from Saturday’s high scoring victory.
