Game Recaps 12/2/22

WATERTOWN WOLVES at BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS

BINGHAMTON DOUBLES UP WATERTOWN

by Brooks Hill

BINGHAMTON, NY - The Binghamton Black Bears defeated the Watertown Wolves 6-3 on Friday night inside Visions Veterans Memorial Arena. With a slew of new faces within the locker room, Binghamton was able to gel well with each other and defeat an in-state rival.

The Black Bears power play started off the scoring, picking up right where they left off. Tyler Gjurich tallied his 12th of the season, extending his point-streak to 41 games. Kyle Powell, who missed the entire month of November drew back into the lineup and was immediately rewarded with a primary assist. Watertown would answer right back during a 4-on-4 sequence as Jackson Bond’s turnaround shot squeaked by new goaltender, Chris Paulin.

The Power play continued to click as Tyson Kirkby was left alone in the bumper position in the high slot and buried a one-timer through the five-hole of the Watertown goalie. The Wolves, once again, were able to tie the game up at 2- 2, and that is where the two teams would go into the locker room for the first intermission.

Watertown changed their pace in the middle frame, outshooting the Black Bears 13-8. Watertown took a 3-2 lead on a wrist shot from Elijah Wilson. For the first 18 minutes of the period, Watertown was dictating the tempo and had control of the game. However, in the final two minutes, Binghamton would tie the game up on a top shelf snipe from Jesse Anderson, also playing in his first game back from injury. Late in the period the Black Bears kept driving towards the net and it led to Cam Yarwood scoring his third goal of the season streaking down the slot. In a blink of an eye, the Black Bears held a one-goal lead, 4-3 after two periods.

The Black Bears wrote the story in the third period, not allowing any high-danger chances to come in front of their new goaltender. Binghamton stayed true to their forecheck, and it turned into a Austin Thompson goal giving either side their first two-goal lead of the night. The second line continued to find ways onto the scoresheet as Bret Parker scored the sixth and final goal of the night, as the Black Bears double up the Wolves and win 6-3.

The same teams are back at it again tomorrow at 7:00P.M. Tickets are still available at binghamtonblackbears.com

MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES at ELMIRA MAMMOTH

Proudlock and Mammoth Hold Off Sea Wolves

by Jacob Johnson

Elmira N.Y.- The Elmira Mammoth faced off with the Mississippi Sea Wolves at First Arena on Friday Night.

The first 11 minutes of the period was a feeling out process between both teams. Both teams had chances, but Ian Wallace and Thomas Proudlock did their job in their respective nets.

Stavros Soilis finally broke the scoring after Wallace was screened in front and Soilis sent it to the top shelf for his 2nd of the season. Yianni Liarakos and Christopher Maratea received assists on the goal.

The first period would end 1-0 after a hard-fought period between both teams, it set up an intense next 40 minutes of hockey at First Arena.

To start the 2nd period, it was more of the same between these two teams, behind the backs of their netminders it remained a 1-0 score for the majority of the period.

Then on the powerplay who else but Parker Moskal to give the Mammoth a two-goal margin. He went top shelf over Wallace for his league leading 14th goal of the season. Soilis recorded his first assist of the night and Liarakos had his 2nd of the night.

The 2nd period would end 2-0 in favor of the Elmira Mammoth with Mississippi leading in the shot's column by 12.

The back and forth play between these two teams continued for the first 14 minutes of the period.

The Sea Wolves finally got on the board with a loose puck out in front, Proudlock made the first 3 saves but Daniel McKitrick finally tapped on through his legs to make it 2-1.

After a flurry of penalties, the Mammoth continued the pressure on Wallace. But Wallace continued to be up to the task, he would finish with 40 saves on the night.

The Mammoth would go on to win by a final score of 2-1, Thomas Proudlock had 36 saves on the night and was the first star for Elmira. The Sea Wolves' losing streak reaches 8 games now and the Mammoth now have a 2-game win streak.

These two teams will square back up again tomorrow night at First Arena, puck drop is scheduled for 6:35 pm.

Sea Wolves Downed 2-1 by Mammoth

by Nick Rosesch

Elmira, NY – The Mississippi Sea Wolves had their comeback bid run out of time on Friday night, coming up short 2-1 to the Elmira Mammoth at First Arena.

In their first matchup against each other, both sides saw quality chances before Elmira’s Stavros Soilis picked his corner of the net at 11:05 of the first period. Yianni Liarakos and Chris Maratea helped set up the play to make it 1-0 Mammoth.

The Sea Wolves deficit doubled to 2-0 after Parker Moskal hit the top shelf after 16:42 of the middle period. Liarakos registered his second assist of the night and Soilis picked one up for a multi-point game.

The lone goal of the third period came from Mississippi’s Daniel McKitrick exactly six minutes in on a scramble at the crease of Elmira goaltender Thomas Proudlock. In the final ten minutes of regulation, the Sea Wolves were called for five penalties and were unable to gain any offensive momentum against the Mammoth as the 2-1 Elmira lead became final. Sea Wolves netminder Ian Wallace made 40 saves in his debut.

The Sea Wolves and Mammoth will gather again tomorrow at 5:35 Central Time for the series finale at First Arena in Elmira. The action will be available for viewing on the Sea Wolves YouTube channel.

DELAWARE THUNDER at MOTOR CITY ROCKERS

Motor City Win Streak At 4 With Win Over Delaware

by Ben Szilagy

Fraser, MI — After taking two games out in Delaware last weekend, Motor City looked to keep its win streak alive at home.

The Rockers’ win streak now extended to four games with a 6-4 win over the Thunder.

Motor City (10-3-3) gave up a goal under the Delaware pressure in the first period. The Thunder’s forecheck at center ice created a turnover that captain Alex Soucy took advantage of. As the puck lay high in the slot Soucy chipped it past Blake Scott who came out of the crease to play the puck, and pushed it past the goal line for a 1-0 lead.

Two minutes later in the first period Motor City got on the board thanks to Dylan Johnson who was signed two days ago to replace Scott Coash who is on loan to the SPHL in Knoxville Ice Bears.

Cade Lambdin moved the puck to the point to Dante Suffredini. Suffredini offered a hard shot that was deflected in front by Johnson for his first goal as a Rocker for a 1-1 tie with 15:54 to play in the period.

Motor City built a lead in the second period thanks to the power play when Johnson received a pass right in front of the net, and fired the puck top-shelf from four feet away for a 2-1 lead. The second power play goal was scored by Everett Thompson five minutes later for a 3-1 lead.

Delaware (1-12-1) erased the two goal lead in thirty seconds around the 13 minute mark of the second.

Newly signed defensemen Alex DiBacco carried the puck into the offensive zone on the far side of the ice and fired a shot on net. Chris Corgan picked up the rebound and found the back of the net for his sixth of the season. Thirty seconds later Denis Gafarov tied the game at 3-3 with his eight of the season.

As quickly as the lead disappeared for the Rockers, Motor City reclaimed it with goals by Declan Conway and Tommy Cardinal eight seconds apart with 7:31 to play for a 5-3 lead. Three minutes later, the Thunder added a goal by Matt Barzarin to make it 5-4 on Delaware’s lone power play goal of the night.

Motor City capped the scoring on the night when Ian White added his seventh point in eight games with a hard slap shot in the far side circle with 5:44 to play in the third period for a 6-4 lead.

Motor City hosts Delaware on Saturday night at Big Boy Arena at 7:00pm in their final match-up of the season.

DANBURY HAT TRICKS at COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS

RIVER DRAGONS COMEBACK FALLS SHORT IN SHOOTOUT LOSS

Danbury Tops Columbus 4-3 to Halt

River Dragons Win Streak at 10

by Tom Callahan

COLUMBUS, GA - The Columbus River Dragons’ win streak was halted at ten games by the visiting Danbury Hat Tricks in a 4-3 shootout loss at the Columbus Civic Center on Friday night.

The Hat Tricks led the game 3-0 after two periods of play before the River Dragons roared back to tie the game with three goals in the third period. Josh Pietrantonio started the comeback at 3:06 of the third period, tipping a Josh Labelle point shot past Hat

Tricks goaltender Brian Wilson (48 saves, W).

Labelle then got in on the act with a power play point blast that beat Wilson at 8:33 to electrify the building and fire up the River Dragons fans.

From there, Columbus continued to pour it on but Wilson made save after save, and even received the help of his goal posts a few times. Finally, with goaltender Brendan Colgan (25 saves, L) on the bench for the extra attacker, Alex Storjohann finally pushed the

puck through the legs of Wilson with just under six seconds remaining to tie the game at the end of regulation.

A scoreless overtime gave way to the shootout, where Danbury scored on two of its three chances while Jacob Kelly and Ricards Jelenskis were stopped by Wilson to give Danbury the extra point.

The same two teams go right back at it Saturday night at 7:30 pm.

PORT HURON PROWLERS at CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS

THUNDERBIRDS FALL ON TEDDY BEAR TOSS NIGHT

by Brett Wiseman

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - In a game that was filled with goals, hits, fights, saves, penalties, ejections, and yes even teddy bears, the Port Huron Prowlers prevailed from the dust and smoke with a 7-5 victory.

Blake Peavey opened the scoring for the Carolina Thunderbirds eight minutes into the opening frame, and ensued the annual teddy bear toss. After the bears were collected and six minutes of game time elapsed, the Prowlers answered on a goal by Liam Freeborn. The game remained tied after one period of play.

The second period was more eventful, but the ice was severely tilted. The Prowlers poured it on in the middle frame, outshooting the Thunderbirds 19-9 and outscoring them 4-1 to lead 5-2 after two. Nearly six minutes into the second Tucker Scantlebury took a slashing penalty, and just four seconds into the power play Jacob Schnapp sniped home a heavy and hard one timer for Carolina's only marker of the period. The Port Huron scoring outburst prompted Carolina head coach Garrett Rutledge to pull starter Mario Cavialere for Boris Babik in the third.

The third period had everything. Evan Foley answered less than five minutes later, again tripling the lead. At the 11:50 mark of the final frame, things escalated quickly. Viktor Grebenikov was tripped in the corner going after a loose puck, and on his way back to his bench entered into an altercation with the Prowlers bench that instigated a full on brawl in front of the Port Huron bench. It let to a multitude of penalties and game misconducts. Grebennikov, Schnapp and Lucas Rowe were sent to the showers early for Carolina, as was Port Huron's Bryan Parsons.

When the dust finally settled, after a power play goal by Gus Ford, an empty netter by the Prowler's Alex Johnson with three seconds left sealed a wild win for Port Huron.

The Prowlers' victory brings them even with Carolina at 22 points in the Continental Division standings. The two teams will meet again Saturday night for the final matchup between them in the regular season. Puck drop is set for 6:05.