Tim Schaller, Phil Varone lead Amerks late rally past Marlies 4-3

TORONTO - Tim Schaller scored a hat trick and Phil Varone added the winner as the Rochester Americans erased a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Toronto Marlies 4-3 on Saturday afternoon in American Hockey League action.

Schaller scored twice in the third to pull the Americans to within one.

Then, with their net empty for an extra attacker, Schaller completed the hat trick poking home a lose puck tying the game 3-3 with 57 seconds remaining.

Varone scored the winner with 43 seconds remaining to complete the Rochester (33-27-10) rally for the Americans' third straight win.

Josh Leivo scored twice and Brad Ross had the other for the Marlies (41-22-6). Christopher Gibson made 39 saves in the loss.

Andrey Makarov made 13 saves for his third career AHL win.

Leivo gave Toronto a three-goal cushion with just 21 seconds remaining in the second period one-timing a Trevor Smith feed past Makarov for his 20th goal of the season.

The Marlies scored twice, on their first two shots of the game, to open a 2-0 lead five minutes in.

Ross opened the scoring backhanding a Sam Carrick feed blocker side past Makarov for his sixth of the season. It was Ross's first goal in 11 games and first in two months.

Leivo made it 2-0 at 5:12, on a power play, beating Makarov with a shot from the face-off dot for his 19th goal of the season.

Saturday was Leivo's fourth multi-goal game of the season.

Carter Ashton, who was playing in his first game since an emergency recall by the Maple Leafs on Thursday, had two assists in the win.

Schaller got Rochester on the board, on a power play, one timing a Brayden Irwin pass home for his fifth of the season at 4:03 of the third period.

Schaller poked home his second of the night, and sixth of the season, on a power play, 16:40 of the third.

Notes: Frazer McLaren (hip flexor), Andrew MacWilliam (concussion) and Spencer Abbott (shoulder) all missed Saturday's game. Defenceman Zachary Yuen and forward Fabrice Herzog were healthy scratches. With goaltender Drew MacIntyre on emergency recall with the Maple Leafs, the Marlies recalled Christopher Gibson from the ECHL Friday.