GAME RECAPS 1/20/23

CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS at COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS


RIVER DRAGONS LATE PUSH FALLS SHORT AGAINST THUNDERBIRDS

Columbus Suffers First Regulation Home Loss


by Tom Callahan



Columbus, GA.- The Columbus River Dragons suffered the team’s first regulation home defeat on Friday night in a 4-3 loss to the Carolina Thunderbirds.

Cody Wickline scored twice for the River Dragons, his second multi-goal game of the season and ninth multi-point game of the year. Wickline opened the scoring for the River Dragons at 7:42 of the first period on an assist from Jay Croop to make it a 1-0 game.

Carolina roared back for three straight, including a pair of goals 50 seconds apart to establish a 3-1 lead after 20 minutes of play.

Columbus fought back in the second, with Wickline’s second of the night coming just 4:11 into the frame and Greco scoring at 8:49 to tie the game 3-3.

Late in the second period, John Buttitta scored on a one-timer from the left circle for what turned out to be the game-winning goal.

Breandan Colgan took the loss with 15 saves for Columbus.

The same two teams are back at it tomorrow night at the Columbus Civic Center on Hometown Heroes Night. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 pm and tickets are available through the Civic Center Box Office and online at TicketMaster.com.


Different Site, Same Result for the Carolina Thunderbirds


by Brett Wiseman

Columbus, GA - Mario Cavaliere's 41 saves on 44 shots faced helped carry Carolina to a 4-3 triumph over the archrival Columbus River Dragons.

A game that was full of physicality and drama throughout, the Thunderbirds stayed disciplined and focused to hang on for another huge win.

While Cavaliere put the team on his back in net, captain. John Buttitta continued his hot offensive play of late. His one-timer late in the second period proved to be the game-winning goal and was the veteran's 200th career FPHL point.

Lucas Rowe, Blake Peavey and Gus Ford all added tallies en route to a third straight victory over Columbus.

The Thunderbirds now sit two points behind the Port Huron Prowlers for second place in the Continental Division.

The two will tangle once more tomorrow night from the Civic Center



BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS at ELMIRA MAMMOTH


Chris Hunt Delivers, Mammoth Win 6-5

by Jacob Johnson

Elmira, NY - The Elmira Mammoth hosted their I-86 Rivals the Binghamton Black Bears on Friday Night at First Arena. In a game of back and forth jabs the Mammoth would get the last laugh defeating the Binghamton Black Bears by a score of 6-5. 

This game got off to a hot start, in his first game since being released by Binghamton M.J. Maerkl found the back of the net with a wrister from the blue line. Mo Levac and Nick Gullo would each receive an assist on the goal. 

Only a minute and twelve seconds later Nikita Ivashkin received a pass from Chad Lopez and tied things up at 1. Kyle Powell received the secondary assist.

After a Levac hooking call, the Black Bears took the lead on a Tyler Gjurich one timer. Tyson Kirkby and Gavin Yates would get the assists. 

To close out the period with just 37 seconds remaining on the clock Chad Lopez would extend the Binghamton lead, Ivashkin would get his 2nd point of the night and Austin Thompson received the secondary assist.

Just like the Mammoth did in the first period they would score in the first two minutes of the period. Dalton Anderson shot the puck sprawled out on the ground and hit the post into the net. Stavros Soilis and Tate Leeson each got an apple to make it a 3-2 game. 

Less than a minute later Nathan Campbell rifled a shot up and over Riley McVeigh to tie things up at 3. Chris Hunt and Gullo would add to the box score. 

The period would continue to be physical but nothing would add onto the scoreboard. After 40 minutes Elmira and Binghamton remained tied at 3. 

Chad Lopez would give Binghamton a quick lead to start the 3rd period, firing one past Harley White to make it 4-3 Black Bears. Ivashkin received the apple.

5 minutes later it was Dalton Anderson for his 2nd of the night, Anderson picked up a loose rebound and tied things up for Elmira. Hunt and Maerkl would each earn a point. 

It would then be Stavros Soilis on the power play, he took a shot that got a piece of Binghamton Defender Justin Coachman and snuck by McVeigh. Campbell got point number 2 on the night. 

Binghamton would answer back with Gavin Yates. Shorthanded Yates blew by the Mammoth defense and deked out White to tie things up at 5. Kirkby got his 2nd point of the night.

With just 24 seconds left in the game, the Mammoth set things up to find Chris Hunt sitting in the slot, he then ripped a wrister by the netminder to give Elmira a 6-5 lead and the win. Gullo got assist number 3 and Soilis his 2nd. 

The Mammoth extend their win streak to 5 games and get their first win over the Black Bears this season. They will move on to face the Delaware Thunder this weekend back here at First Arena on Friday Night, they will then travel to Danbury Saturday and host them back here on Sunday at 6:35pm. 

Tickets are still available for both those games on FirstArena.net


WATERTOWN WOLVES at DANBURY HAT TRICKS


Hat Tricks Outmuscle Wolves


by Chris Lynch



Danbury, CT.- After a rough two-game road trip to Biloxi, the Danbury Hat Tricks returned home looking for some home cooking to lift their souls and home record. They ultimately got what they sought, but not without a physical and grueling matchup against the defending Commissioner’s Cup Champion Watertown Wolves. 

The Wolves got the jump in the first period, outshooting the Hat Tricks 9-4 and landing a power play goal thanks to the efforts of Elijah Wilson at the 16:34 point of the stanza. 

Danbury woke back up in the second period and were rewarded with a fortunate puck bounce odd Michael Marchesan’s stick to knot the score even at the 9:17 mark of the frame.

The Hat Tricks’ power play, which has struggled for much of the season got a needed chance near the third period’s middle point thanks to a Brandon Baker cross checking penalty, and Danbury capitalized on the chance. Daniel McKitrick popped a rebound off a Michael Marchesan shot into the net put the Hat Tricks ahead 2-1. Watertown kept attacking but failed to beat Brian Wilson, who stopped 26 of 27 shots, and Dmitry Kuznetsov landed the empty net goal to end the scoring at 3-1. 

Watertown drops to 11-16-0, and combined with Elmira’s win over Binghamton, drops the Wolves into 4th place in the FPHL’s Empire Division. . Owen Liskiewicz stopped 22 of 24 shots faced. The Wolves hit the road next weekend for a two-game slate in Fraser, MI, to play the Motor City Rockers. 

Danbury improves to  22-3-3, still sitting in first place in the Empire Division, six points ahead of the Binghamton Black Bears, whom the Hat Tricks meet on Saturday night. Puck drops at 7PM for the matchup between the first place teams in the Empire. 


MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES at DELAWARE THUNDER 


Sea Wolves Win Third in a Row 


by Nick Roesch

Harrington, DE – The Mississippi Sea Wolves went on a five-goal run in the first period on Friday night and carried it to a 7-3 win over the Delaware Thunder at the Centre Ice Arena. Yaroslav Yevdokimov scored his second consecutive hat trick and added a fourth goal before the final buzzer. 

The first Mississippi goal came shorthanded after Jake Raleigh gave a drop pass to Yianni Liarakos, who smoked in his second goal with the team. Shortly after, Yevdokimov scored twice in the opening period along with Raleigh and Marvin Powell for a 5-0 Sea Wolves lead after one period. 

In a turn of events, the Sea Wolves went scoreless in the second period. Delaware chipped their deficit down to three with goals from Rasmus Asp and Dzmitry Daniliuk. Danila Milushkin collected assists on both plays. 

Milushkin added to his impressive performance with the third straight Thunder goal midway through period three. After fighting through a 5-on-3 penalty kill, Yevdokimov put things out of reach at 7-3 after scoring for his third and fourth time respectively. 

Blake Weyrick earned his third straight win in net with 33 saves. Other notable performances include Liarakos’ four-point game (1G-3A), and two assists each being recorded by Raleigh, Jeff Eppright and Kyle Russell. 

The Sea Wolves finish their trip to Delaware with a 6:00pm CST puck drop tomorrow against the Thunder. Fans can view the action live on the Sea Wolves YouTube channel.