O'FALLON, Ill. – The Fresno Pacific Sunbirds dropped a pair of heartbreaking matches to the McKendree Bearcats and the Gannon Golden Knights Friday in the WWPA Championships.
 
The Sunbirds started off hot with back-to-back goals from Forrest Gray and Eugenio Maldonado off turnovers by the Bearcats to take the early 2-0 lead.
 
McKendree found the back of the net for the first time of the day to bring the Bearcats within one before Jacob Renevier scored for his first goal of the game to keep the two goal lead.
 
In the last two minutes of the first period, the Sunbirds outscored the Bearcats two to one with another goal from Gray and the first from Christian Clark to take the 5-2.
 
The Sunbirds and Bearcats traded goals to start the second period, with Clark and Gray converting for the 'Birds.
 
With the score at 7-4, the Bearcats went on a run scoring three unanswered goals to tie the match 7-7 heading into the final minute of the second period.
 
In the final minute, the Sunbirds scored two goals from Clark and Pietro Cattano to end the scoring drought sending the 'Birds into the third period up 9-7.
 
McKendree outscored the Sunbirds four goals to one in the third to take their first lead of the match 11-10.
 
The final minute of the third was marked by another goal Clark, his fourth of the day, off the assist from Maldonado.
 
The tie was short lived as McKendree answered quickly with a goal in the final three seconds to send the game 12-11 into the fourth.
 
To open the fourth, the Bearcats would convert again, but the Sunbirds responded on the following two possessions with a pair of goals from Gray to tie the match back up 13-13.
 
Back-back goals from Maldonado in the fourth minute put the 'Birds back up 15-13.
 
The Bearcats converted again to bring them back within one with less than two minutes left in the match.
 
A penalty shot was awarded to McKendree with a minute left which they converted tying the game 15-15.
 
Back-to-back turnovers from both teams left the score still tied to send the match to overtime.
 
To open the fifth period overtime, Ethan McLaughlin recorded a trio of crucial saves to keep the score knotted at 15-15.

The Bearcats finally broke the tie converting with less than five seconds left to take a 16-15 leading heading into the sixth period overtime.
 
With 30 seconds left, off a pass from Samuel Ramos, Andrew Duncan found the back of the net to tie the match back up at 16-16.
 
Out of a timeout, McKendree converted less than five seconds later to retake the lead and the match 17-16.
 
GAME TWO
 
In the second game of the day, the Sunbirds found themselves matched up against the Gannon Golden Knights.
 
To open the match, both teams scored on their first possessions with Gray continuing his early dominance with the first goal for the 'Birds.
 
The Golden Knights score four unanswered goals taking the 5-1 lead.
 
A trio of goals from Clark, Duncan, and Maldonado brought the 'Birds back within one with two minutes left in the first period.
 
The period ended with another goal from the Golden Knights to take a two-goal lead 6-4.
 
Gannon opened the second period with a converted penalty shot to score the first goal of the second quarter.
 
Fresno Pacific answered with a pair of goals from Maldonado and Clark to bring the 'Birds back within one 7-6.
 
The Golden Knights outscored the Sunbirds two goals to one to end the second quarter 9-7.
 
To open the third, William Green scored his first goal of the day off the assist from Gray, but the celebration was short lived as Gannon responded with a matching goal of their own.
 
Both teams ended the third quarter with three goals with the 'Birds goals coming Renevier, Clark, and Maldonado to end the third down two, 13-11.
 
The Sunbirds converted on their first possession of the fourth with a goal from Gray off the assist from Nikita Kravtsov.
 
A pair of goals between the Golden Knights and Sunbirds were traded to keep the score within one heading into the final minute 15-14.
 
The Golden Knights secured their victory with one final goal to take the match 16-14 handing the 'Birds their second loss of the day. 
 
Seven Sunbirds combined for a goal or more in both games, with Clark ending the day as the top scorer with four goals in each game.
 
Fresno Pacific will conclude the WWPA Championships with one last game against the Mercyhurst Lakers on Saturday at 1pm P.T

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