River Dragons Overpower Sea Wolves 4-1

COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS at MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES

by Nick Roesch

Biloxi, MS – The Columbus River Dragons flexed their defensive muscles on Friday night with a 4-1 win over the Mississippi Sea Wolves at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Columbus increased their win streak to nine games with the result, while Mississippi’s losing skid grew to eight.

Both teams moved up and down through the opening period with the lone goal scored by Columbus’ Cody Wickline on a redirect from the low slot at 16:21. The chippy opening twenty minutes saw 44 combined penalty minutes between the teams.

Slow starts out of the locker room came back to haunt the Sea Wolves in the second period as Alex Storjohann (2:24) and Ricards Jelenskis (4:47) expanded the River Dragons lead to 3-0. Storjohann cashed in on a breakout pass from Jacob Kelly before Ricards Jelenskis buried his shot from between the circles.

Justin Barr scored the only Mississippi goal of the evening with five minutes remaining in period two. Yaroslav Yevdokimov and Philip Wong collected the assists on Barr’s rebound from the back door to make it 3-1 Columbus.

The Sea Wolves were able to hold off the River Dragons in the final period before Kelly logged one more goal at 13:11. He received a feed from Lane King on the far wall before defeating Mississippi goaltender Blake Weyrick from the slot.

River Dragons goaltender Breandan Colgan proved to be brilliant, stopping 28 of 29 Mississippi chances. Weyrick played in net for the Sea Wolves and saw 44 shots, blocking 40 of them.

The Sea Wolves and River Dragons will finish the three-in-three series tomorrow, November 26. The 6:30 Central Time start will represent the Sea Wolves’ first visit to the Columbus Civic Center in Georgia.

BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS at PORT HURON PROWLERS

JAY SCORES 200TH BUT PROWLERS FALL TO BINGHAMTON

by Will Wiegelman

Port Huron, MI - The Port Huron Prowlers returned home but fell to the Binghamton Black Bears 5-3 at McMorran Place on Nov. 25. Dalton Jay scored twice, including his 200th FPHL goal, but it wasn’t enough for Port Huron.

After a scoreless but entertaining first period, the Black Bears got on the board first with a power play goal. Cam Yarwood knocked in a rebound chance to open the scoring. He was named the game’s second star. Late in the period, Colan Fitzgerald picked off a pass at center ice and beat Wyatt Hoflin and the buzzer to extend the lead to 2-0 with 0.9 seconds on the clock. It was Binghamton’s FPHL-leading sixth shorthanded goal of the season.

The Prowlers found the back of the net early in the third when Austin Fetterly’s wrist shot from the point leaked through Joseph Sheppard for a power-play goal just 1:51 in. 2:08 later, Tyson Kirkby caught the Prowlers on a change and fed Tyler Gjurich who scored on the two-on-one chance to bring the lead back to two goals at 3-1.

Jay got his first of the night during four-on-four action with just over six minutes to play, picking the corner from the top of the left-wing circle. Binghamton responded quickly again with Gjurich fitting the puck over Hoflin’s shoulder from the goal line to make it 4-2 with under five minutes to play.

The Black Bears got into late penalty trouble with a high-sticking call against M.J. Maerkl and a too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty on the same play. Jay became the fourth player in FPHL history to hit 200 goals with a wrist shot from the right-wing circle. The Prowlers pulled Hoflin for an extra attacker but Kirkby nailed the empty net from his own goal line to seal the deal.

Jay was named the second star of the game with his two goals. Sam Williams picked up an assist in his Port Huron debut and Liam Freeborn notched his first pro point with a helper on Jay’s second tally. Hoflin made 25 saves on 29 shots. The Prowlers outshot the Black Bears 36-30. They sit at 5-6-2.

Gjurich and Kirkby each notched three points in the victory. Jiri Hajda contributed a pair of assists while Yarwood added an assist for a two-point night. Sheppard made 33 stops for his third win of the year. Binghamton moves to 9-3-2 and a potential tie atop the Empire Division pending a Danbury loss.

These two teams tangle again on Saturday, Nov. 26 with a 6:05 P.M. puck drop scheduled at McMorran Place.

DANBURY HAT TRICKS at ELMIRA MAMMOTH

Hat Tricks Stun Mammoth in OT

by Jacob Johnson

Elmira N.Y.- The Danbury Hat Tricks defeated the Elmira Mammoth in OT by a final score of 5-4.

After a back and forth first 19 minutes and 40 seconds of the first stanza, Tyler Piekarski picked up right where he left off against the Thunder and picked up his 2nd career goal with a wrister with just 20 seconds to play in the first frame. Parker Moskal would record an assist. as well as Thomas Proudlock the Mammoth goaltender for his first of the season.

With the Mammoth on the power play 8 minutes into the 2nd period, A wide shot by Parker Moskal bounced off the back boards out in front of Parker Butler and Yianni Liarakos was there to tip it into the wide-open frame to make it 2-0 Mammoth. Stavros Soilis with an apple on the goal as well.

In Mammoth fashion Tate Leeson and Parker Moskal connected once again. Leeson went to the backhand and slid it 5-hole on Butler for the 3rd goal of the game. Thomas Proudlock, the Mammoth goaltender, recorded an assist on the goal for his first of the season. After 40 minutes of play the Mammoth led the Hat Tricks by a score of 3-0.

The 3rd period would be the difference maker in this one. Mike Lopez was able to net the first one of the night for the Hat Tricks to make it a 2-goal margin. Michael Marchesan received the lone assist.

Just 30 seconds later it was Tate Leeson who found the back of the net for the 2nd time in the game for his 5th goal of the season.

After a very chippy next 10 minutes it was all Hat Tricks. Dmitry Kuznetsov found his way through to make it 4-2, with an assist from Brendan Sheehan.

Just two minutes later Marchesan would put a goal in his tally for the night. He would score that goal unassisted.

Only 1 minute later Marchesan would find his way around again to tie up this game at 4. The Hat Tricks would score 3 unanswered goals in the 3rd period to send the game to overtime.

In OT the Mammoth would take a too many men on the ice to send Danbury to the power play. That would be the end of it. On the power play Lopez would score his 2nd of the night and give the Hat Tricks a 5-4 win. Butler would finish with 28 saves while Thomas Proudlock had 40 saves on the night.

The Mammoth will take to the road tomorrow night against the Watertown Wolves. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 in the Watertown Municipal Arena. They will return back to First Arena next Friday night against the Mississippi Sea Wolves.

CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS at WATERTOWN WOLVES

Wolves Edge Thunderbirds in SO

by Jeff Barrett

Watertown, NY – The Carolina Thunderbirds traveled to Watertown for the first of only 4 meetings between these two teams.

The Wolves would strike early in period number one at the 2:51 mark when Larry Yellowknee was able to tap home a rebound past the Thunderbirds starting netminder Mario Cavaliere.

The Thunderbirds would get one back at 12:35 of the frame from Petr Panacek, assisted by Lucas Rowe and Jan Salak.

Period number one would end with score knotted at a goal a piece. The Thunderbirds outshot the Wolves 11 to 8 but were 0 for 3 on power play chances.

The second period would start much the same as the first as the Wolves were able to strike first.

Sam Hrabcak lit the lamp at 3:36 on a power play to put the Wolves back in front 2-1 assisted by Mathias Tellstrom and Chase Carter.The lead wouldn't last long as just one minute and 24 seconds later, Cody Oakes would score an even strength goal with Gus Ford getting the helper, to knot the game at 2.

The Thunderbirds took their first lead of the evening at 15:23 of the period on a Dawson Baker power play goal assisted by John Buttita and Gus Ford. At 19:03 Ryan Sarris evened the score on an even strength effort with help from Trevor Lord and Kolt Maguire, sending the period to the end tied at 3.

The third period brought the first fight of the night as the Wolves Ben Maidment and the Thunderbirds Joe Kennedy squared off with both landing some big right hands. In the end, Kennedy would get the better of Maidment, and both players acknowlegded each other from their respective penalty boxes with a thumbs up.

The Wolves would take three more penalties within a span of 26 seconds and face a 5 on 3 skating power play from Carolina, but Greg Hussey was ounstanding in the short handed effort stopping several Thunderbird shots, including diving across the goal to stop a wide open shot from Jan Salak.

Each team would score once more in the second. At the 7:57 mark, Jan Salak would take a pass from Dawson Baker and would one time it over Hussey's left hip to put the Birds back in the lead, until the 14:23 mark when Trevor Lord would snipe a goal from the right side assisted by Mathias Tellstrom.

Regulation would end with teams knotted at 4 goals a piece.

Both teams had multiple opportunities in the overtime period, but Cavaliere and Hussey were both oustanding, denying every chance.

The game would head to a shootout. Gus Ford would strike first in the second round of shooters to give Carolina the early edge. The third and fourth shooters for Watertown, Trevor Lord and Fabian Lehnerwould both strike to put the Wolves ahead putting the pressure on the Thunderbirds Dawson Baker who would have the last chance to pull the Thunderbirds even, but he was denied when Hussey was able to put his left leg in front of the shot, securing the Wolves victory.

Carolina outshot Watertown 49-36 for the game.

The Wolves are back in action Saturday night when the Elmira Mammoth come to town for a 7:30 start.

The Thunderbirds travel to Danbury to take on the Hat Tricks on Saturday evening.

MOTOR CITY ROCKERS at DELAWARE THUNDER

Motor City Takes the First Game in Weekend Series

by Gradon Motter

Harrington, DE - The first period was a exciting one with both teams scoring in the early going of the period. Motor City’s Declan Conway lit the lamp red first 5 minutes into the period. However, Austin Weber with a one timer on the power play and Houston Wilson on another power play make the game interesting going into the 2nd period 2-1.

The Second period was all Motor City with goals from Ian White, Scott Coash, Danny Venderwiel and Josh Colten. Delaware could not catch a break with 6 penalties in the period.

The 3rd period was a battle for both teams. Motor City’s 6 penalties in the period helped Alex Soucy put the puck in the back of the net with 3 minutes to go. Rockers Roman Gaudet would seal the deal with an empty net goal making the final 6-3.

Motor city and Delaware play each other tomorrow 11/26 at the Thunder dome. Puck drop 7:05pm