Robert Batten scored 2:40 into overtime to give the Jr. Flyers a 4 – 3 win over the Connecticut Roughriders in Eastern Hockey League action earlier today. The teams split their weekend series.

With the Jr. Flyers playing with a 5-on-3 man advantage, goaltender Aron Hansson made a key save after a turnover and passed the puck to Justin Brown who passed it up to Shane Ward along the far side boards. As Ward gained the line, he took a shot that took a strange bounce and went through the five hole of Roughriders goalie Rian Stewart to give the Jr. Flyers a 1 – 0 at 7:01 into the opening period.

After John McCuen won the draw deep inside his own zone, the puck went over to Billy McDevitt on his right. McDevitt skated up along the far side boards and into the Roughriders zone. As McDevitt reached the bottom of the faceoff circle, he made a centering pass over to Ward who redirected the puck past Steward to give the Jr. Flyers a 2 – 0 lead with 3:55 left in the period.

With 2:57 left in the period, Batten was called for charging to give Connecticut the man advantage. Andrew Bella picked up the loose puck behind the Jr. Flyers net and it passed it up to Emīls Ūdris who immediately sent it over to Grey Owens at the top of the far side point. Owens passed it down to Christopher Morrison at the bottom of the circle. Morrison sent back to Bella at the faceoff dot and Bella took a one-timer that this the post and went in behind Hansson to cut Jr. Flyers lead in half.

Connecticut’s Tommy Schwartz tied the game at 5:46 of the second period. After the Roughriders won the draw just outside the Jr. Flyers zone, Colin Bella picked up the loose puck and entered the offensive zone. As he reached the bottom of the near side faceoff circle, he passed it back to Schwartz who took a wrister that beat Hansson for his eleventh goal of the season.

The Jr. Flyers regained the lead with 7:34 left in the middle stanza. Brown started to skate up along the near side boards and head manned the puck up to Adam Nilsson at the Roughriders blueline. After Nilsson gained the line, he skated in on a breakaway on Stewart. As Nilsson veered towards his right, he slid the puck through Stewart’s five hole to make it a 3 – 2 game.

The Roughriders tied the game at three with nineteen seconds remaining in regulation. After Will Christensen won the draw deep inside the Jr. Flyers zone, the puck came out to Andrew Bells on his right. As Bella skated behind Christensen, he took a wrist shot that found its way through a screen and past Hansson to send the game into overtime.

After Steward made a left pad save on Batten, the puck went into the near side corner where it was picked up by Nilsson. As Nilsson went to the net, he passed it out front to Batten who buried it past Stewart to win the game for the visiting Jr. Flyers.

Hansson stopped 35 of 38 shots while Steward turned aside 20 of 24. Click here for the box score.

The Jr. Flyers next game is on Wednesday at noon against the Philadelphia Revolution.