Nathan Ellsworth scored the clinching goal in a shootout on Friday night as the Stephenville Jets edged the Corner Brook Royals 4-3 at the Stephenville Dome.
Liam Frigault (2) and Ryan Perrier recorded the regulation goals for the winning side.
Matthew Colbourne, Josh Smith and Kurt Etchegary did the damage in the loss.
Ryan Hancock made 57 saves in the win, while Bradley Dyke kicked aside 58 in the Royals’ net.
The Royals jumped out to a 2-0 lead after the first period of play, with Colbourne striking at the seven-minute mark from Smith, before Etchegary lit the lamp at 7:23, from Lucas Wiseman and Ryan Hawco.
Smith made it a 3-0 game just 28 seconds into the middle stanza, with Alex Hillier and Colbourne drawing the assists.
Frigault kicked off the Jets’ comeback before the end of the period, however, scoring from Ellsworth and Josh White, at 15:07.
Perrier cut the deficit to one at 6:59 of the third, from Shane Columbe, before Frigault scored his second of the night at 9:39, from Jody Kelly, to set up Ellsworth’s shootout heroics.
The league now enters the Christmas break with the second half of the season scheduled to start Jan. 4 with an 8 p.m. tilt between the Jets and Port aux Basques Mariners in Stephenville.
