Joel Hofer did what most goaltenders can only dream of.
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As a goalie for the Springfield Thunderbirds of the American Hockey League, Joel Hofer had a special moment on Thursday.
While Hofer was defending the Thunderbirds’ goal against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in Game 2 of in the best-of-five Atlantic Division semifinal, he carved out a piece of history for himself.
Hofer, who made 34 saves during the game, became the second goaltender in Calder Cup Playoff history to score a goal in the Thunderbirds’ 6–2 victory over the Penguins.
The 21-year-old gathered the unsecured puck from behind his own net and shot it down the ice into the Penguins’ unoccupied goal with 3:48 remaining in the third period.
Hofer also became one of 18 AHL goaltender ever to score in a game, regular season or playoffs. The historic goal helped the Thunderbirds take a 2–0 series lead against the Penguins.
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