GAME RECAPS 3/18/23

ELMIRA MAMMOTH at BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS


A Very Happy Homecoming for the Black Bears


by Brooks Hill

Binghamton, NY - The Binghamton Black Bears defeated the Elmira Mammoth for the second consecutive night, 4-1 on Saturday. Binghamton rattled off four-straight goals to rally past Elmira for three points in the standings. 

In the final matchup of the weekend between the two sides, Elmira was first on the board, scoring on their first shot. Tate Leeson was able to outwait the goaltender, and give the Mammoth a 1-0 lead, just 2:28 into the game. The Black Bears were unable to score on their first power play, but did tie the game at 1-1 thanks to Kyle Powell. Powell’s 3rd goal of the year game off a slap-pass from Gavin Yates and Don Olivieri. Yates has now surpassed his career-high total for assists on the year with 28. 

Binghamton would score the only goal of the middle period. Jake Schultz scored his 11th of the season, also a career-high, on a back-hander just outside the faceoff dot. Talor Joseph stopped all 10 shots he faced in the frame, ensuring the Black Bears would go to the locker room up 2-1. 

The Black Bears were able to secure a much needed insurance goal in the third. Josh Newberg stayed on the forecheck, apply pressure that led to a turnover, allowing Jestin Somero to score a goal in his second-straight game. The penalty kill was tested in the third, having to kill off three penalties. Elmira pulled the goalie in the final two minutes, allowing the final nail in the coffin to be scored by Tyler Gjurich. 

Binghamton wins 4-1 in their return to home ice. Gjurich inches closer to the all-time goal lead, now just four off the mark. The Black Bears will have a Sunday afternoon contest against Watertown at 2:00p.m. 



MOTOR CITY ROCKERS at CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS


THUNDERBIRDS FALL TO ROCKERS 4-2


by Brett Wiseman



Winston-Salem, NC - The Carolina Thunderbirds threw everything but the kitchen sink at Motor City Rockers' goaltender Trevor Babin, but his 45 saves and his teams' timely offense outlasted for a 4-2 victory in the second of a three game set.

The sixth of seven meetings between the division rivals was as heated as the previous six. Physical, tight checking, not much room for either team to work with offensively. 

Declan Conway put a puck home in the first three minutes of the game, and the Rockers limited Carolina's chances to carry a 1-0 lead into the second.

Mario Cavaliere was injured down the stretch of the first, and Boris Babik entered the net in relief, doing all he could to keep Carolina in the game. After Roman Gaudet doubled the lead for Motor City early in the second, Babik made a series of huge stops to give the Thunderbirds life. 

Matthew Bazarin made the most of it, smashing home a rebound between the wickets of Babin to cut the Rockers lead in half. The Thunderbirds didn't stop there in the second, as Gus Ford fed Josh Koepplinger beautifully on the backdoor to tie the game. Ford's assists on both goals bring him just one point shy of 100 for the season.

The game trekked on, staying tied, tight and physical through the rest of the second and the first half of the third. A turnover by Carolina's Justin Bioni in front of his own net led to a Rockers goal from Scott Coash that ended up being the game winner. Jameson Milam added an insurance marker on the power play late.

The two teams will wrap up their season series tomorrow afternoon at 4:05.



DELAWARE THUNDER at PORT HURON PROWLERS 


PROWLERS SWEEP THUNDER, CLINCH PLAYOFFS


by Will Wiegelman

Port Huron, MI - The Port Huron Prowlers swept the Delaware Thunder at McMorran Place, taking the series finale 8-3. With the win, Port Huron clinches a playoff spot in the 2023 Commissioner’s Cup Playoffs.

Matt Stoia opened the scoring when he stepped into the offensive zone and went bar down just over five minutes in. Dan Chartrand double the lead off the rush and Alex Johnson made it 3-0 1:20 later.

Rocco DiCostanzo got the Thunder on the board with a power play goal in the second but the Prowlers responded 4 minutes later. Johnson threw a shot through traffic that beat Spencer Kozlowski and Sam Gagnon added to the lead with a wrap-around goal.

Marquis Grant-Mentis answered for Delaware and DiCostanzo added his second power-play goal of the night to make it 5-3 Port Huron heading into the third.

Sam Marit gave the Prowlers some breathing room just under five minutes into the final frame, potting a rebound past Kozlowski. Gagnon added his second and Dalton Jay put the cherry on top off a back-door pass from Johnson.

Johnson and Gagnon were the first and second stars, respectively, with two goals and an assist each. Stoia and Marit each added an assist to their goals while Matt Graham and Joe Deveny picked up two assists apiece.

Denis Garfarov had two helpers for the Thunder while Kozlowski made 35 saves in his fifth-straight loss.

The Prowlers host the Watertown Wolves at McMorran Place on March 24 and 25 with puck drop on both nights scheduled for 7:05 P.M. Tickets are available at phprowlers.com/tickets.



MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES at COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS 


 RIVER DRAGONS MAKE HISTORY IN 4-1 WIN OVER SEA WOLVES


by Tom Callahan



Columbus, GA - The Columbus River Dragons made history Saturday night with a 4-1 win over the Mississippi Sea Wolves, becoming just the second franchise in Columbus hockey history to eclipse the 100-point plateau.

Columbus opened the scoring with a pair of goals 57 seconds apart in the first period and never looked back. Adam Vannelli’s second goal in as many nights proved to be the game winner, while Lane King, Cody Rodgers and Jay Croop all added singles in the win.

Christian Pavlas earned the win, stopping all five shots he faced before being ejected following a fight with Sea Wolves starter Joe Sheppard at 10:59 of the first period. Breandan Colgan mopped up in relief with 24 saves.

The teams wrap the three-game weekend series tomorrow afternoon at 4:30 pm at the Columbus Civic Center. The AirForce Heating and Air Pregame Show kicks off at 4 pm on the River Dragons Broadcast Network.


Sea Wolves Drop Marathon to River Dragons 


by Nick Roesch

Columbus, GA - In a game that lasted three hours and 14 minutes on Friday night, the Mississippi Sea Wolves were stumped in a 4-1 loss against the Columbus River Dragons at the Columbus Civic Center. 

The River Dragons gathered two goals just 57 seconds apart in the first period, starting with Lane King at 4:12 before Adam Vannelli made it 2-0. Josh Pietrantonio, Josh Labelle, Thomas Aldworth and Jacob Kelly all recorded assists. 

The second period saw just one goal, as Cody Rodgers advanced the Columbus lead to three. Aldworth logged his second helper of the game on the play. 

After a broken glass pane led to a lengthy delay in action during period three, Philip Wong broke Mississippi’s scoreless drought on the power play. Liarakos’ helper keeps his point streak alive at 20 games. 

Despite Wong cutting the deficit to a pair, Jay Croop lobbed a long shot into the empty net unassisted at 18:37 to keep Mississippi away for good. 

Blake Weyrick played in net for the first time since January 27 and stopped 20 of 21 shots faced after coming in for starter Joe Sheppard.

The Sea Wolves went 1-for-6 on the power play in a game that saw a combination of 108 penalty minutes. The River Dragons went empty-handed across three man advantages. 

The rivals will clash for the final time of the 2022-23 season tomorrow, March 19 at the Columbus Civic Center. The puck drops at 3:30pm Central Time and fans can view the action live on the Mississippi Sea Wolves YouTube channel. 


WATERTOWN WOLVES at DANBURY HAT TRICKS


Hat Tricks Down Wolves on Historic Night


by Chris Lynch



Danbury, CT -  With alumni from all portions of Danbury’s hockey history in the building, the Danbury Hat Tricks gave their fans a show, defeating the Watertown Wolves 4-1. 

Tobias Odjick opened the scoring and his three point game by scoring off a nifty feed from John MacDonald at the 2:52 mark of the period. Jonny Ruiz potted a goal off a pass from Michael Marchesan from behind the net to extend the lead to 2-0 before the intermission.

During the intermission, Danbury inducted three individuals into the Danbury Hockey Ring of Honor who played a major part in the 2013 Danbury Whalers Commissioner’s Cup Championship win. Steve Brown, who arrived during that season and ended up playing more games than anyone else in Danbury’s professional hockey history, Ed Campbell the Captain of the Whalers and former Danbury Trasher, and Alan Friedman, the President of the Whalers. 

Watertown cut the deficit in half at the 8:04 point of the second. Parker Moscal set up Don Carter Jr. for a goal shortly after a power play expired. 

Frankie McClendon stopped every other shot he faced, recording a 23 save victory while his offense picked up the pace in the third period. Michael Marchesan went first, tipping in a Kyle Gonzalez shot on a power play at the 7:47 mark. Brendan Dowler ended the scoring with a wicked point shot that rung off the post and in to conclude the scoring at 4-1. 

The Hat Tricks improve to 36-6-5 on the season for 105 points, good for first place in the entire FPHL. 

Watertown falls to 17-25-3 and takes to the ice tomorrow against the Binghamton Black Bears in Binghamton. 

Adam Wisco stopped 38 of 42 shots faced in the Wolves’ net. 

Danbury hosts Mississippi next Friday for the start of a three game weekend at the Danbury Arena.