Walleye rally past Tahoe 4-3, solidify record on home ice as playoffs approach

Cam Hausinger's second-period fight sparks Toledo's comeback, but Tahoe prevails in overtime

Mar. 23, 2026 at 1:49am

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The Toledo Walleye battled back from a 3-1 deficit against the Tahoe Knight Monsters, tying the game late in the third period, before falling 4-3 in overtime. Cam Hausinger's second-period fight with Tahoe's Tucker Ness sparked the Walleye's comeback, with goals from Garrett Van Wyhe and Brendon Michaelian evening the score. But Tahoe's Sloan Stanick scored the game-winner in overtime.

Why it matters

The Walleye's comeback effort, despite the overtime loss, showcases their resilience and ability to rally their fans and team in the face of adversity as they approach the playoffs. The fight between Hausinger and Ness proved to be a key momentum shift, highlighting the importance of physical play and team spirit in close games.

The details

Down 3-1 in the third period, the Walleye battled back with goals from Van Wyhe and Michaelian to tie the game at 3-3. Hausinger's second-period fight with Ness sparked the Walleye's comeback, with the crowd erupting in support. Toledo outshot Tahoe 16-4 in the third period, but Stanick's overtime goal gave the Knight Monsters the win.

  • The fight between Hausinger and Ness occurred in the second period.
  • Van Wyhe scored a power-play goal with 7:24 left in the third period to pull Toledo within one.
  • Michaelian scored the game-tying goal with 7:11 left in regulation.
  • Stanick scored the game-winning goal for Tahoe with 4:55 left in overtime.

The players

Cam Hausinger

A newcomer to the Toledo Walleye, acquired in a trade with Greenville on Wednesday, who sparked the team's comeback with a second-period fight against Tahoe's Tucker Ness.

Garrett Van Wyhe

A Walleye player who scored a power-play goal in the third period to pull Toledo within one.

Brendon Michaelian

A Walleye player who scored the game-tying goal with 7:11 left in regulation.

Sloan Stanick

A Tahoe Knight Monsters player who scored the game-winning goal in overtime.

Pat Mikesch

The head coach of the Toledo Walleye.

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What they’re saying

“I definitely could hear the roar come in, and then the excitement after. When you pump up the crowd, you definitely hear the vocals. I'm glad the fight worked out the way it did. You've got to find a way to get a spark. Obviously, we wish we could have closed it out.”

— Cam Hausinger

“That's awesome from Haus. I think that's something we desperately needed. He brings that grit and horsepower to the lineup. The biggest part was just getting the crowd back into it. It was a little bit of a library there. After [the goals], I could see everyone on the glass jumping and hooting and on the bench too. We were rolling after that. But obviously they get a lucky bounce there in OT.”

— Garrett Van Wyhe, Walleye player

“It was awesome to fight back like that. When you can help the team like that, it's a really good feeling. We were all kind of fired up after [the fight]. That changed the game for us. It got us going. I wish we started like that from the get go, but it's always important, especially this time of the year, to get as many points as possible. Every point counts.”

— Brendon Michaelian, Walleye player

“We're a resilient group. You have to understand how to come back in situations like that, especially when we're getting so close to playoffs.”

— Brandon Hawkins, Walleye captain

“It lifted the building and the momentum everywhere. And he did it at the right time.”

— Brandon Hawkins, Walleye captain

What’s next

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The takeaway

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