DANBURY HAT TRICKS at HC VENOM
Dzianis Zaichyk Scores Twice for Venom in Nail-biting 5-4 Loss to Hat Tricks
by Ben Leeds
Poughkeepsie, NY - The HC Venom nearly staged a late third-period comeback but fell short against the Danbury Hat Tricks, losing 5-4 at McCann Ice Arena on Wednesday night.
Dzianis Zaichyk had two goals and an assist in the loss, and Connor Craig (two assists) and Jonas Leas (one goal, one assist) each ended the night with two points for the Venom.
Aleksandr Vasilyev and Chase Harwell led the way for the Hat Tricks, each scoring two goals in the victory.
The Hat Tricks got the game's first goal near the halfway mark of the first period; Harwell fired a wrist shot up high past Venom goalie Rahul Sharma. Danbury doubled their lead at 15:27 when Vasilyev intercepted a pass in the neutral zone then moved in on Sharma and also beat him up high.
The Venom got on the board before the period ended, cutting the deficit to one heading into the first intermission. Ivan Ponivanov fired a puck through traffic out in front, and it hit the back of the net for his fifth goal at 17:06.
Each team scored two in the second period, once again starting with Danbury. Cory Anderson found his way behind the Venom defense and reeled in a deep pass from Xavier Abdella, scoring on a breakaway at 5:21.
Trailing 3-1, the Venom scored two power-play goals in less than a two-minute span. The first came at 10:07 when Zaichyk scored his first, deflecting a pass from Leas. They tied the score soon after at 11:59; Leas got a goal on a deflection of his own, redirecting a shot from Craig to even it up 3-3.
However, the teams skated to the locker room again with Danbury out front. At 13:17, Harwell scored his second of the night. On a power play, Jonny Ruiz delivered a perfect pass to Harwell in front of the net, where he deposited the go-ahead goal, his 21st of the season.
Trey Fischer came inches away from tying the game back up at four in the third period for the Venom, but his shot clanged off the post. Danbury grabbed the puck after the near miss and went the other way, breaking out on a three-on-two rush. There, Vasilyev scored his second of the night, pushing the Hat Trick lead back to two at 12:09.
The Venom did not go down easy, despite taking a penalty in the waning minutes of the third period. They forced a turnover in the Danbury end, and then Zaichyk made the Hat Tricks play, shrinking the deficit down to one with a short-handed goal at 15:53. Vasilyev took a tripping penalty at 17:26 presenting the Venom with a prime opportunity to net the equalizer. Danbury goalie Frankie McClendon saved the Venom’s first two shots on goal during the power play, and as the final seconds ticked away, turned aside a missile of a slapshot from Craig. The Hat Tricks outshot the Venom 46-30, but Sharma kept them in it with 41 saves. At the other end, McClendon did his job, saving 26 to get the victory.
The Venom will play the second half of back-to-back games at McCann Ice Arena on Thursday night against the Dashers; puck drop is set for 6 p.m.
Hat Tricks Hold On in Poughkeepsie, Nudge Past Venom 5-4
by Wyatt Kopelman
Poughkeepsie, NY - Chase Harwell and Aleksandr Vasilyev each scored two goals and the Hat Tricks took down HC Venom, 5-4, at McCann Ice Arena on Wednesday.
Harwell opened the scoring for the Hat Tricks in the first period. The second-year center buried his 20th goal of the season at 9:06, supplying Danbury with a 1-0 lead. Vasilyev, who missed the last six games while on the 15-day injury reserve, scored unassisted on the breakaway to double the lead.
HC Venom countered with a goal at 17:06 as Ivan Ponivanov’s snapshot from the left circle reduced the lead to 2-1.
The middle frame was back and forth. Xavier Abdella’s stretch pass met Cory Anderson in the offensive zone andAnderson moved Danbury ahead, 3-1, at 5:21. Anderson potted his second goal in his last four outings.
But HC Venom used two Danbury minors to tie the game at three. Dzianis Zaichyk cashed in at 10:07 of the second on Chase Harwell’s high-sticking penalty. Xavier Abdella sat for interference and Jonas Leas deflected home Mark Pozsar’s wrist shot with 8:01 left.
Vasilyev gave the Hat Tricks a 5-3 lead with nearly eight minutes remaining in the third from the right circle. The 35-year-old forward logged his first two-goal outing since Danbury’s win against HC Venom (6-5W) on Jan. 3.
HC Venom’s Steven Ford’s takeaway in Danbury’s zone paid off, however. Ford dropped for Zaichyk, who scored shorthanded in the slot to make it a 5-4 game at 15:53.
Frankie McClendon made 26 saves to win his sixth start in a row. The ninth-year netminder improved to 8-1-1 and is three wins from tying his most in a single season (11) from 2022-23.
With the win, Danbury finished its three-game road trip with six points (2-1) and has won 19 of its last 26 games (15-4-3-4). The Hat Tricks have won six of their last eight road contests.
Up next, the Hat Tricks host the Dashers for the start of a two-game set on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
| 
FPHL 
