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IslandStats.com

Bermuda's Sunken Harbor Soca Kings launched their National Ball Hockey League Championship campaign in dramatic fashion, edging out the South Jersey Space Pirates 7-6 following a tense shootout in Marlton, New Jersey.

Competing in Tier Two, the Bermudian outfit survived a frantic, momentum-swinging contest that produced 12 regulation goals before Robbie Bailey delivered the decisive conversion in the shootout to secure opening-game honours.

The contest ignited from the opening whistle, with South Jersey seizing the initiative inside the first minute when Carter Shourds struck off assists from Mike Stief and Ryan Phillips. The Soca Kings responded almost immediately. Jeremy Estey levelled the scores after neat interplay from Jake Fenske and Chris Cairns, before Fenske turned scorer less than a minute later, converting passes from Craig Rowat and Bailey to hand Bermuda the lead.

Phillips restored parity for the Space Pirates midway through the frame, set up by Travis Veit, but Fenske capped an electric opening period by bagging his second of the night, finishing a slick move orchestrated by Christopher Jackson and Cairns to give the islanders a 3-2 edge at the first intermission.

The Soca Kings appeared to seize firm control during the middle period. Matt McPhail doubled their advantage early on following another sharp assist from Jackson. Although Matt Marchese pulled one back for South Jersey courtesy of an Eric Stocklin setup, Bailey struck late in the frame off Jackson's third helper of the evening to send Bermuda into the final period leading 5-3.

However, the Space Pirates mounted a ferocious third-period assault. Shourds grabbed his second goal just a minute after the restart before Charles Rudolph levelled the tie following good work by Tyler Eahart and Veit. When Stief fired the American side in front with less than four minutes remaining on the clock, the Soca Kings looked in danger of letting the points slip away.

With time ticking away and pressure mounting, Bermuda conjured a dramatic response. Jackson, having already claimed three assists on the night, popped up with the vital equalizer just 16 seconds from the final whistle, converting after fine build-up play from Fenske and Estey to lock the scores at 6-6.

With regulation failing to separate the sides, the contest moved to a shootout, where Bailey held his nerve to beat the goaltender and seal a memorable opening victory for the Bermudian side.