Martin Sonnenberg slipped a shot home at the 16:17 mark of overtime to give Hartford a 3-2 win over Manchester in Game 2 of the teams’ Atlantic Division semifinal series on Wednesday night.
The series is even at one game apiece as the scene shifts to the Verizon Wireless Arena on Friday.
Sonnenberg, who is playing in the postseason for the first time since reaching the Calder Cup Final with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2001, trickled the puck past Barry Brust after Lee Falardeau wrapped it around from behind the net.
Nigel Dawes and Chad Wiseman also scored for the Wolf Pack, who never trailed in the game after dropping a 1-0 decision in Tuesday’s opener.
Al Montoya made 33 saves for Hartford.
Brust, the Game 1 hero with a 39-save shutout, stopped 40 shots in the loss. Mark Ardelan and Richard Petiot had the goals for the Monarchs.
The Wolf Pack improved to 8-8 all-time in Calder Cup Playoff overtime games, while the Monarchs dropped to 0-4.
HERSHEY 3, NORFOLK 2
Boyd Gordon scored 6:11 into the third period, snapping a tie and sending Hershey to a 3-2 victory over Norfolk in Game 1 of their East Division semifinal series.
Kris Beech and Tomas Fleischmann picked up a goal and an assist each for the Bears, while Frederic Cassivi finished with 30 saves.
Hershey opened up a 2-0 lead before Pavel Vorobiev got the Admirals on the board with 4:24 left in the second period. Carl Corazzini then tied it with a power-play marker in the opening minute of the third.
The teams head to Norfolk for Game 2 on Friday night.
