GAME RECAPS 3/24/23

WATERTOWN WOLVES at PORT HURON PROWLERS 

FINAL MINUTE COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AGAINST WATERTOWN

by Will Wiegelman

Port Huron, MI - The Port Huron Prowlers faced the Watertown Wolves for the first time this season and the Wolves came away with a 4-3 win. Lincoln Gingerich’s empty-net goal went down as the game-winner.

Parker Moskal began a counterattack and slid a pass in tight to Elijah Wilson who potted his 16th goal of the season. Less than two minutes later, the Prowlers were on the power play and Matt Stoia sent a shot from the point that hit Brandon Baker’s stick and deflected past Adam Wisco.

That 1-1 score held into the third period when Wilson stepped over the Port Huron blue line and fired a shot past Wyatt Hoflin to give Watertown back the lead.

Moskal found a bouncing puck at center ice and scored on the breakaway to extend the lead to 3-1. Gingerich hit the empty net with 1:19 to go but the Prowlers fought back.

Matt Graham and Dalton Jay scored in the final 23 seconds but the comeback fell short.

Graham had a goal and an assist to lead Port Huron. Hoflin made 32 saves on 35 shots.

Gingerich was the game's first star with his first career pro goal and two assists for the Wolves. Wilson scored twice and Moskal had a goal and an assist. Wisco made 33 saves for his first pro win. Watertown snapped a seven-game losing streak.

The Prowlers and Wolves meet again on March 25 with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 P.M. Tickets are available at phprowlers.com/tickets or by calling the box office at 810-985-6166.



CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS at ELMIRA MAMMOTH

Elmira Falls to Carolina 7-4

by Jacob Johnson

Elmira, NY - The Elmira Mammoth last faced off with the Carolina Thunderbirds on New Years Eve down in Winston-Salem, they were outscored that weekend 19-4. They looked to bounce back at home this time but fell by a final score of 7-4

The Mammoth would get the scoring started in the same way they did last Saturday against Binghamton. With some beautiful passing Nick Gullo found Kyle Stevens who passed to a wide open Tate Leeson for the first goal of the game to make it 1-0. 

The game would stay that way for the next 10 minutes until a wrist shot from Gus Ford found some white netting to even up the game 1 a piece. Josh Koepplinger and John Buttita each earned an assist.

The Mammoth would rack up 3 penalties in the period including 1 at the end of the 2nd but killed off each one of them.

The Mammoth would kill off the remaining :34 seconds of the penalty to start the 2nd period. After a Petr Panacek game misconduct the Mammoth would have a 5 minute power play. 

They would capitalize over a minute later with a Noah Wild rebound goal past Boris Babik. 

Exactly a minute later Tristian Mock would find his first in a Mammoth sweater with a beautifully placed shot just inside the near side post to give Elmira a 3-1 lead. Luke Richards and Dalton Anderson each earned a helper on the goal. 

But in typical Carolina fashion they would pour on shots, after Jim Jensen was sent to the box for high sticking, Jiri Pestuka beat Thomas Proudlock on the glove side to tighten the gap. Susi and Koepplinger each earned an assist.

For the 2nd time tonight Gus Ford would fire one on net that beat Proudlock for his 41st of the season. Blake Peavey and Justin Pringle each got an apple. That goal would move us back even 3-3. The 2nd period would end in that way and it set us up for an exciting 3rd period of hockey. 

The 3rd period would contain some fireworks here at First Arena. Brendan Hussey got the frame started with a power play goal. After Proudlock made the initial 4 or 5 saves Hussey poked home the rebound. Ford and Koepplinger earned the helpers.

Josh Sanchez would answer right back with his first professional goal to tie it up at 4. Luke Richards and Kyle Stevens had the assists.

It would then be all Thunderbirds to close out the period. Josh Koepplinger would give the Thunderbirds back the lead with a 4 on 4 goal which turned out to be the game winning goal. 

Jan Salak would then bury back to back goals including an empty netter to close out the books on this one. The Mammoth fall 7-4 to the Carolina Thunderbirds.

These two teams will be back at it again tomorrow night right here at 6:35 with tickets still available on FirstArena.net


BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS at MOTOR CITY ROCKERS 

Milam's OT Winner Steals 6-5 Win Over Binghamton

by Ben Szilagy

Fraser, MI -  After battling for a hard fought win on Sunday afternoon in Carolina, the Rockers had to come from behind to earn its third straight win at home.

Motor City erased a two goal deficit to force overtime and beat Binghamton 6-5 on Friday night.

Despite coming back in the game, the Rockers (27-16-6) jumped out to a two goal lead in the first period.

Motor City earned a 1-0 lead 2:08 into the first period when Tim Perks moved the puck to the point onto the stick of Nick Magil-Diaz. Magil-Diaz moved the puck to the near side onto the stick of a crashing Jamie Milam who fired it through the five-hole for his third of the year. 

The Rockers extended the lead with 4:20 left in the period when Dante Suffredini found Brad Reitter on a cross-ice pass to the far side circle. As he was falling, Reitter fired the puck through the five-hole for a 2-0 lead. 

The Black Bears (30-14-5) though was able to steal one back with 46.5 seconds left in the first period when Austin Thompson intercepted a pass at center ice and carried it into the offensive zone where he fired the puck top shelf stick side for his 26th of the season and a 2-1 lead. 

Binghamton started the second period on a three goal run to overtake the game. 

With 12:34 left in the middle frame, Justin Coachman fired the puck from the slot that was deflected in front by Tyler Gjurich to tie the game at 2-2. 

A 1:16 later, Thompson centered the puck to Mac Lewis who fired the puck on net. The rebound bounced right back to his stick and he put in the goal for a 3-2 lead. 

The lead grew again on the rebound in front of the net on the power play. Binghamton, who has the best power play in the league, had a shot fired on net by Lewis in the slot. The puck bounced in between the hash marks to Tyson Kirkby who banged in the puck for his 24th of the season for a 4-2 lead. 

The Rockers needed a power play to pull back into the game and did so late in the second period. 

Scott Coash fired a hard shot from the point that was deflected by Cade Lambdin in front of the net to cut into the lead, 4-3, for his sixth of the season with 5:43 left in the period. The Rockers earned a late period goal to tie the score at 4-4 off the stick of Danny Vanderwiel with 3:14 to play in the second. 

Binghamton retook the lead on the power play midway through the third period when Cam Yarwood fired a hard blast from the point for a 5-4 lead 7:44 into the period before Derek Makimaa tied the score a minute later at 5-5 on his 18th of the year. 

The Rockers earned the extra point in overtime when Milam fired a hard blast from the high slot that caught the inside of the nearside post for a 6-5 win and his second of the game.

Motor City and Binghamton will square off for the final time this season on Saturday at 6:00pm at Big Boy Arena. 



COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS at DELAWARE THUNDER 

 RIVER DRAGONS DOMINATE THUNDER

by Jeff Heacock

Harrington, DE -  The Delaware Thunder came back home after 2 straight weekends on the road and took a tough loss to the Columbus River Dragons by a score of 7-1. 

The first period was tight with just one goal by Alexander Jmaeff of Columbus to make the score 1-0 River Dragons at the first intermission.

Columbus tallied a goal by Alex Storjohann near the middle of the second to make the margin 2. The River Dragons added 2 more late goals in the second to take a big 4-0 lead at the second intermission.

Columbus was able to score a fifth straight goal early in the third by Kyle Moore. Delaware finally got on the board with a powerplay goal by Denis Gafarov at the 8 minute mark of the third period, but that was all the offense they could muster for the game. The River Dragons were able to add 2 more goals to make the final score Columbus 7, Delaware 1.
  
These 2 teams are back at it in Harrington on Saturday night at 7:00 PM.

RIVER DRAGONS DROP SEVEN ON THUNDER
White Records First Pro Point and First Pro Goal In Win

by Tom Callahan

Harrington, DE - Rookie Brendan White recorded his first pro point and minutes later his first pro goal as the Columbus River Dragons routed the Delaware Thunder 7-1 on Friday night.

Seven River Dragons recorded multiple point games led by Lane King’s goal and two assists on the night. In all, ten Columbus players recorded at least a point, while the line of King, Alex Storjohann and Alexander Jmaeff combnined for seven points on the night.

Christian Pavlas earned the win and picked up the primary assist on King’s goal in the second period. 

The same two teams go back at it tomorrow night at 7 pm ET. Saturday’s broadcast is radio only along the Columbus River Dragons Broadcast Network.



MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES at DANBURY HAT TRICKS 

Sea Wolves Upset Danbury 
Snapping Hat Tricks 10 Game Winning Streak

by Chris Lynch

Danbury, CT -  The Mississippi Sea Wolves snapped the Danbury Hat Tricks’ near franchise record 10 game winning streak with a 5-3 victory at the Danbury Ice Arena on Friday night. 

Goaltender Blake Weyrick led the way with a 40 save effort, tying his career high for saves in a single game. 

Yianni Liarakos and Yaroslav Yevdokimov led the way in scoring with a goal and three assists each. Yevdokimov extended his FPHL leading goal total to 46. The two stay tied for second in overall points scoring in the Fed with 83 points. 

Mississippi jumped to a 3-0 lead with two in the first period, the first coming from Jeff Eppright and the next two coming from Kyle Russell, with Russell’s second tally coming early in the second period. 

Danbury got off the mat and on the board with a Michael Marchesan power play goal, but fell behind on Liarakos’ goal at the 15:22 mark of the frame. 

The Hat Tricks rallied in the third. Brendan Sheehan notched one following a Daniel McKitrick forced turnover while Lucas DeBenedet potted a power play goal with 1:56 left in the game. Yet, Danbury ran out of steam. Yevdokimov landed the empty netter and secured the Sea Wolves victory. 

Mississippi is the only team in the FPHL who has not lost to the Hat Tricks all season, having won the first two matchups between the teams in Biloxi on January 13th and 14th. 

This is Danbury’s second loss in regulation at the Danbury Ice Arena this season and first since January 6th when the Carolina Thunderbirds were in town. It also snaps a five game home winning streak, dating back to their February 3rd game against the Columbus River Dragons. 

Brian Wilson stopped 16 of 20 shots in net. 

Brendan Sheehan recorded a two-point game. 

Danbury and Mississippi meet again on Saturday night in Danbury at 7PM. 


Sea Wolves Dethrone Hat Tricks 5-3

by Nick Roesch

Danbury, CT – The Mississippi Sea Wolves snapped a three-game losing skid on Friday night, taking down the Danbury Hat Tricks by a 5-3 score at Danbury Arena. 

The Sea Wolves began the game with good pace and jumped in front 2-0 with goals from Jeff Eppright and Kyle Russell. Eppright’s goal came 2:33 into the game and Russell’s was recorded at 13:40.

Mississippi got out to another fast start in the second period as Russell scored his second of the night after 1:42 had gone by. Both of his goals were assisted by Yianni Liarakos and Yaroslav Yevdokimov.

That 3-0 lead was trimmed by the Hat Tricks when Michael Marchesan rifled in the puck on a power play. Liarakos earned a goal right back for the Sea Wolves, representing his fourth point of the night. 

Despite trailing 4-1 going into the final period, Danbury came rumbling back with Brendan Sheehan and Lucas DeBenedet bringing the Hat Tricks within one. DeBenedet’s strike was the second Danbury man-advantage goal on Friday. 

Danbury went right back into the offensive zone trailing 4-3, but were ultimately extinguished on an empty netter from the Sea Wolves’ Yaroslav Yevdokimov with 1:02 to go in the game. 

Goaltender Blake Weyrick received his fourth win of the season on 40 total saves. Liarakos and Yevdokimov each finished the night with one goal and three assists. 

The Sea Wolves and Hat Tricks will play their fourth and final meeting of the season with each other tomorrow, March 25 at Danbury Arena. Fans can view the game live starting at 6:30pm Central Time on the Mississippi Sea Wolves YouTube channel.