Game Recaps 1/6/23

PORT HURON PROWLERS vs BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS


Binghamton Sets Franchise Record 13 Goals in Route to Victory


by Brooks Hill



Binghamton, NY.- The Binghamton Black Bears defeated the Port Huron Prowlers by a final score of 13-2. Binghamton sets multiple franchise records on Friday night for their offense.

The scoring got started just 27 seconds in as Tyson Kirkby sniped one past the starting goaltender, Wyatt Hoflin. Kirkby would be the first of nine different goal scorers. In a blink of an eye, the Black Bears added four more goals before the under-10 media timeout. Josh Newberg, Geno DeAngelo, Bret Parker, and Gavin Yates got rewarded early in the contest with each of them scoring making it 5-0. Hoflin was pulled and Rodrigue replaced his tandem partner.

With a new goaltender in between the pipes for Port Huron, the Black Bears welcomed him to the game in a bombardment of shots, three of which found the back of the net. Nikita Ivashkin and Bret Parker picked up their first goals of the night, while Parker was able to snag his second of the game. After 20 minutes, the Black Bears led 8-0, a season and franchise-high in a single period.

Kirkby was able to redirect a shot from JT Walters for his second, making the lead 9-0, but the Prowlers would break the shutout attempt of Riley McVeigh. On the power play, Evan Foley banked a shot off the back of McVeigh to ensure the Prowlers would get on the board, making it 9-1. Binghamton still led by 8 going into the final period.

Jake Schutlz decided to join the scoring column, blasting one past the reliever. And in the promise land you could find Bret Parker who scored his first hat trick of his FPHL career. Parker would go on to be named the first start of the game, adding three assists to his six-point night, also a career-high. Austin Thompson would score on the power play late in the game, and for the first time in franchise history, all of the forwards dressed, tallied one point on the score sheet.

Binghamton wins by a final score of 13-2, the most-scored goals in franchise-history and the largest margin of victory.


MOTOR CITY ROCKERS vs COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS


COLGAN, RIVER DRAGONS BLANK ROCKERS 3-0

Shutout Streak Reaches 196:01



by Tom Callahan



Columbus, GA.- Breandan Colgan’s personal shutout streak has reached 196:01 after he posted a 28-save performance to blank the Motor City Rockers 3-0 on Friday night at the Columbus Civic Center.

The Wyneewood, PA native has now posted three consecutive shutouts for the River Dragons and is riding a personal five-game win streak.

Alex Storjohann started the scoring at 19:03 of the first period, finally beating Rockers’ goaltender Trevor Babin in a goalmouth scramble for the first goal of the game. Babin was spectacular the entire game, finishing with 40 saves in the loss.

The game remained 1-0 into the third period until Storjohann tipped a puck to a streaking Jacob Kelly, who beat Babin just under the crossbar to the glove side to make it 2-0. The goal was Kelly’s 22nd of the season and moves him into a tie for most goals in the FPHL with Port Huron’s Dalton Jay.

Alexander Jmaeff would add a power play goal to round out the scoring for Columbus.

The same two teams go right back at it on Saturday night, which is Faith and Family Night brought to you by CTN Channel 16. Puck drop is slated for 7:30 pm with the AirForce Heating and Air Pregame Show starting a half hour before puck drop on the River Dragons Broadcast Network.




DELAWARE THUNDER vs ELMIRA MAMMOTH


Mammoth Get Back in Win Column, Win 5-2 

by Jacob Johnson



Elmira, NY.-The Elmira Mammoth got back to their winning ways defeating the Delaware Thunder by a score of 5-2. 

The Delaware Thunder controlled possession in the first four minutes of the game, Erik Oganezov was able to take advantage of some room at the blue and rifled a shot through traffic to make
it 1-0 Thunder. 

For only the 3rd time this season the Mammoth found the back of the net shorthanded. Kyle Stevens put on the pressure and created a turnover that Dalton Anderson buried for his 4th of the season. 

The next 13 minutes would be back and forth, but the Mammoth were able to finally break through on the power play. Chris Hunt buried a shot from the high slot past Trevor Martin for his 8th
of the season. Leeson and Anderson received assists on the goal. 

After some chippy play in the next 15 minutes of play, and a Noah Wild fight the Mammoth backed up their starting defenseman. 

Nick Gullo broke the 2nd period scoring open putting it top shelf on Martin to make it 3-1. Nathan Campbell received the assist.

Less than 2 minutes later on a 5 on 3 opportunity Danila Milushkin scored the second goal of the night for Delaware. Denis Gafarov and Houston Wilson each earned an apple on the goal.

Then with a minute and three seconds left in the period. Tate Leeson went blocker side and beat Martin. Dakota Seaman got his first point of the season making it 4-2. That is how the 2nd period
would end. 

After a scoreless first 14 minutes of the 3rd period, Tate Leeson would ice the game away with his 2nd goal of the night to make it 5-2 Mammoth. Stavros Soilis received the assist. 
The Elmira Mammoth fended off some late game tricks by the Thunder to win 5-2. 

They will be back home on Sunday at 4 PM against the Delaware Thunder after getting back in the win column and snapping their 6 game losing streak. The Thunder streak continues at 19 games.

Tickets for Sunday’s game are still available at FirstArena.net 




MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES vs WATERTOWN WOLVES


Wolves Shutout Sea Wolves to get Back to Win Column


by Jeff Barrett



Watertown, NY.-For the first time in their existence, the Mississippi Sea Wolves visited Watertown, New York to face the Wolves in the first of two games this weekend. 

The Sea Wolves' Ian Wallace would get the start in net for the visitors, while Travis Smith would start for Watertown. 

The early going of the first period was marked with some big hits setting the tone for the evening, and getting the partisan crowd involved early. The Wolves were first to dent the back of the net on a Trevor Lord goal at 6:09 of the period, assisted by John Amanatidis and newly signed Chase DiBari. Mississippi out shoot Watertown 11 to 5 but the Wolves held on for a 1-0 lead at the end of one. 

Period number two started out with both teams swapping power plays with neither team able to convert. Watertown's Jackson Bond took a cross checking penalty just 55 seconds into the frame knocking down Joe Pace Jr. Bond and Pace would have a heated conversation as Bond headed to the penalty box with Pace following him right to the door. Just under three minutes later Pace and Bond found themselves on the ice together once again, with Pace eagerly trying to exact some revenge on Bond. Pace would end up taking a 5 minute major slashing penalty and then had a 10 minute unsportsmanlike added on, all coming at 4:24.

The Wolves failed to convert on the 5 minute power play but started to gain some offensive zone momentum that would lead to a Matt Brown unassisted goal to extend the Wolves lead 2-0. The period ended with the 2-0 score with Watertown out shooting Mississippi 7 to 4.

It would only take 21 seconds of the third period for Brendan Hussey to score his first goal of the year in his return to action after being sidelined since the early season, pushing the Watertown lead to 3-0 assisted on the play by Chase DiBari. Kolt Maguire added a power play goal at the 11:21 mark assisted by Ben Maidment and Matt Brown lengthening the lead to 4-0 Wolves. Chase DiBari netted his first goal in a Wolves jersey with an unassisted effort at 16:44 to help send the Wolves onto a 5-0 win of the Sea Wolves. 

Watertown's Travis Smith was outstanding in goal stopping all 34 Sea Wolves shots he faced to get the shutout. 

The teams will meet again on Saturday night with a 7:30 start time to conclude the only trip the Sea Wolves will make to Watertown this season.


Sea Wolves Go Empty-Handed in Watertown


by Nick Roesch

Watertown, NY - The (3-20-3) Mississippi Sea Wolves were unable to find the net on Friday night after taking a 5-0 loss to the (10-12-0) Watertown Wolves at the Watertown Municipal Arena.

The first period saw just one goal which came from Watertown’s Trevor Lord on a centering feed 6:09 into the night. John Amanatidis and Chase DiBari formed the assists.

Matt Brown (8:21) registered the lone strike of the second period after forcing a turnover in the low slot for a 2-0 Wolves lead.

Watertown finished strong with three goals in the final twenty minutes between Brendan Hussey (0:21), Kolton Maguire (11:21) and DiBari (16:44). DiBari’s goal was his second point of the night and the Wolves’ second unassisted tally.

The Sea Wolves goaltending was split between starter Ian Wallace and backup Black Weyrick, who entered the game 21 seconds into the third period. Mississippi’s power play unit was blanked after going 0-for-7. Watertown’s Travis Smith clinched the shutout with 34 total saves.

The battle of the Wolves will take place again tomorrow, January 7 at the Watertown Municipal Arena. The puck meets the ice at 6:30pm CST and fans can tune in live on the Sea Wolves YouTube channel.  


CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS vs DANBURY HAT TRICKS


Thunderbirds Double Up Hat Tricks, 6-3


by Chris Lynch



Danbury, CT. - Through the 2022 portion of the 2022-23 season, the Danbury Hat Tricks won all 11 games they hosted at the Danbury Ice Arena. On the first home game night of the 2023 calendar year, the Hat Tricks lost their first home game of the season and only the second regulation loss of the whole season in a 6-3 final against the Carolina Thunderbirds.

Carolina landed the only first period goal at the 16:30 mark of the frame when the FPHL’s leading scorer, Gus Ford, stayed hot as an oven in Gordon Ramsey’s kitchen, scoring on a 2-1 to put the Thunderbirds up at the intermission.

Dustin Jesseau flipped the scoring with two beautiful goals in the second period. The first came only 1:06 into the frame on a shorthanded breakaway. The second came 6:53 in on a wicked solo skating effort to put the Hat Tricks in the lead 2-1.

From the 11:18 mark of the second until the 18:10 point, the Thunderbirds flipped the script and rattled off four straight goals by four different scorers. Josh Koepplinger had a seeing eye point shot to tie the game. Lucas Rowe extended his goal scoring streak to five games in a row at the 12:31 mark. Joseph Kennedy drew Brian Wilson from his net and scored on the backhand at 16:53. And Jan Salak potted a goal at 18:10 to extend the lead to 5-2 at the second intermission.

Jonny Ruiz offered pushback with a goal only 22 seconds into the third period and the Hat Tricks outshot Carolina 8-5 in the final stanza. But alas, Danbury could not get another puck through Mario Cavaliere, who stopped 24 of 27 shots, and John Buttita potted the empty netter to end the scoring at 6-3.

Brian Wilson stopped 21 of 26 shots on the Danbury net.

The Hat Tricks drop to 20-2-2 on the season and stay in first place in the Empire Division by five points over the Binghamton Black Bears.

Carolina improves to 16-6-1 and jumps Motor City into third place in the Continental Division.

The Hat Tricks and Thunderbirds meet again on Saturday night to conclude the two-game series.

Puck drops at 7 PM at the Danbury Arena. 

Thunderbirds Extend Win Streak to Six Games

Hat Tricks Handed First Home Loss


by Brett Wiseman

Danbury, CT - The Carolina Thunderbirds picked up their sixth straight victory, and in the process handed the league's second-best team their first home loss of the season. 

A courageous effort by a shorthanded Carolina club, who due to injuries and illness only started 10 forwards and 5 defensemen, ended in a 6-3 triumph over the Danbury Hat Tricks.

Gus Ford netted the only marker of the first period off the rush, beating Brian Wilson to the far side.

Danbury added two early in the second period, but the Thunderbirds were quick and swift to respond.

Josh Koepplinger banked a shot in off Wilson's blocker to tie the game, and then came a goal of the year candidate. Tucker Firth dangled through center, dropped off to Koepplinger, who left the puck for Rowe to do the rest. Rowe dusted a defender with a series of slick moves, and sniped one up high far side past Wilson to give Carolina the lead for good.

Joe Kennedy and Jan Salak buried goals of their own to finish off a four goal middle frame. 

John Buttitta added an empty netter to seal the win late.

The Thunderbirds and Hat Tricks will battle once more on Saturday night to round out their 5 game season series, which is now tied at 2.