SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - The Springfield Thunderbirds (5-11-3-2) overcame another multi-goal deficit to earn a point, but fell 4-3 in overtime against the Providence Bruins (17-4-0-0) on Saturday night in front of a sold-out MassMutual Center for the annual Teddy Bear Toss. 

The visitors gave the T-Birds a rude introduction to the evening just 3:55 into the contest, as Jake Schmaltz took a centering pass in the left circle from Joey Abate and lifted a forehand shot over Georgi Romanov on the glove side, giving Providence the 1-0 edge.

Just 1:50 later, Bruins captain Patrick Brown, enjoying a career season to date, connected for his 10th of the year after a Dalton Bancroft shot rang Romanov's mask and landed right in the wheelhouse for Brown to snap it home for a 2-0 Bruins lead.

Despite the one-two punch from the opponent, the T-Birds grinded the period out, and Jakub Stancl lit the fuse for the Teddy Bear Toss, beating Simon Zajicek with a short-side roof shot at 14:22 of the first, cutting the lead to 2-1. 

The Bruins began the second period with a second player hitting the 10-goal plateau as Fabian Lysell snapped a forehand shot over Romanov's blocker at 1:07 of period two, making it a 3-1 score. 

Stancl's evening was not finished, as he connected for his first career multi-game as he punched a rebound past Zajicek after Samuel Johannesson's point wrister glanced off the iron, and the rookie's finish got Springfield to within a one-goal margin heading into the final frame.

The 20-year-old Czech still had more up his sleeve, as he whistled a perfect wrister under the crossbar at 5:28 of the third, completing the T-Birds' first hat trick of the 2025-26 season and tying the game, 3-3. Matthew Peca picked up his second primary assist to set up the tying marker.

Romanov and the T-Birds' penalty kill came up large in the closing minutes to get the game into overtime. Still, Springfield's bad fortunes in extra time continued as Christian Wolanin won it for the Bruins with a one-timer from the right circle just 45 seconds into the 3-on-3 session. 

The T-Birds and Bruins complete a home-and-home set as the two sides rematch at 3:05 p.m. on Sunday inside Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence.

Single-game tickets and ticket memberships for all remaining games in the Thunderbirds' 2025-26 season are available now - fans can order now by visiting www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com or by calling (413) 739-GOAL (4625).