Port Huron Shutouts Elmira In Series Finale, 3-0

by Jonathan Kliment

The Enforcers saw their four-game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Prowlers by a 5-3 score just a night ago. Port Huron was mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with the 8-6 Elmira win in Thursday's game, but they viewed these last two games on their home ice as a chance to avenge the lost out Hilliard Cup and sour the Elmira dressing room swing. Both teams were all set up and ready to rock in closing out the four-in-four and the season series.

A puck was wedged away in the defensive end from Elmira by Bryan Parsons, who guided it ahead to Dalton Jay. Jay raced in all alone on Troy Passingham and was denied via the blocker, but the rebound trickled out to Matt Graham as he blazed it in to make the score 1-0 in favor of Port Huron just 1:17 in to the game. Despite a couple of strong pushes from the Enforcers, they couldn't convert and took the one-goal deficit to the room after twenty.

The teams traded chances back and forth in the middle period, but neither side could capitalize and light the lamp leading a Prowlers 1-0 advantage to the board heading to the third and final frame.

Port Huron wasn't content at holding a narrow lead, adding an insurance goal to the sheet midway through the third period. Justin Portillo shanked one to Michael Moran who waited on the doorstep and took his sweet team prior to depositing it past Passingham to double the lead, 2-0, with just over eleven minutes of action remaining. The Prowlers added yet another five minutes later when Matt Graham saucered one to Dalton Jay. Jay hauled it in and sent one to the back of the goal, putting the Port Huron lead at now 3-0 with 7:18 left to play. Elmira pushed hard in the latter stages, but couldn't muster any offense as Kurt Gutting grabbed his first shutout of the season stopping 34 of 34.

Troy Passingham turned away 39 of 42 shots in the losing affair.

Elmira returns home for a three-game series against the rival Carolina Thunderbirds to close out the regular season beginning Friday, April 16th at 7:05pm. Stop on down to the First Arena box office or call (607) 734-PUCk to grab your tickets now.

RIVER DRAGONS TAKE GAME 2 OF WEEKEND SERIES; PUT THEMSELVES ON THE BRINK OF PLAYOFF BERTH

by Zak DeBeaussaert

Columbus, GA - The Columbus River Dragons got themselves within one game of the Ignite Cup playoffs with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Thunderbirds on Saturday night.

The Thunderbirds jumped out early in this one, contrary to last night's performance and found themselves with a 2-0 lead before the 11 minute mark of the 1st period. First Fred Hein cashed in on a great tic-tac-toe passing sequence from Jan Salak and Petr Panacek 2:13 in. Then, on a power play opportunity Tommy Tsicos deflected one past Jacob Caffrey on a shot from Josh Koepplinger and Carolina had their first two-goal lead of the series.

Connor Fries would get one back for Columbus with 1:05 left in the frame on a pretty shot off a rebound coughed up by Zack Quinn.

In the second period the teams began to play some ice chess with matching of lines and a defensive struggle started to ensue until the 17:26 mark when Tommy Tsicos got a breakaway shot on Jacob Caffrey and despite the effort from the Columbus netminder, the puck just leaked over the line for a 3-1 score with about two and a half minutes left in the second.

57 seconds later though the River Dragons fired back with Ivan Bondarenko shooting one to the top right corner on the power play making it 3-2 heading to the locker room.

Facing a one-goal deficit heading back onto the ice for the third the River Dragons then turned on the jets and MJ Graham fired one across the face of goal and Gehrett Sargis was able to tap home his 7th of the season for a tie game 3-3.

Then another controversial moment struck on the weekend series when the River Dragons scored a shorthanded goal despite Zack Quinn's helmet being knocked off on the initial shot. Jake Howie then tapped in to the open net and even with a helmetless goalie in net the goal ended up counting for a 4-3 lead for Columbus.

With the lead in hand for the first time of the night the River Dragons then added another tally with Ivan Bondarenko getting his 2nd of the game on a far post shot and in with a little more than 5 minutes to go.

With those three points in hand the River Dragons can clinch a spot in the Ignite Cup playoffs tomorrow afternoon with any sort of win against Carolina.

Jacob Caffrey gets the win tonight with a 28 save effort. Zack Quinn takes the loss with 22 saves on 27 shots.

The same two teams conclude the weekend and season series against each other tomorrow afternoon at the Civic Center. 4:05 puck drop means a 3:35 puck drop on the River Dragons network. Tickets available at the Civic Center box office or on TicketMaster.

Three Stars of the Game

Ivan Bondarenko

Jake Schultz

Tommy Tsicos

by Zak DeBeaussaert

Columbus, GA - The Columbus River Dragons got themselves within one game of the Ignite Cup playoffs with a 5-3 win over the Carolina Thunderbirds on Saturday night.

The Thunderbirds jumped out early in this one, contrary to last night's performance and found themselves with a 2-0 lead before the 11 minute mark of the 1st period. First Fred Hein cashed in on a great tic-tac-toe passing sequence from Jan Salak and Petr Panacek 2:13 in. Then, on a power play opportunity Tommy Tsicos deflected one past Jacob Caffrey on a shot from Josh Koepplinger and Carolina had their first two-goal lead of the series.

Connor Fries would get one back for Columbus with 1:05 left in the frame on a pretty shot off a rebound coughed up by Zack Quinn.

In the second period the teams began to play some ice chess with matching of lines and a defensive struggle started to ensue until the 17:26 mark when Tommy Tsicos got a breakaway shot on Jacob Caffrey and despite the effort from the Columbus netminder, the puck just leaked over the line for a 3-1 score with about two and a half minutes left in the second.

57 seconds later though the River Dragons fired back with Ivan Bondarenko shooting one to the top right corner on the power play making it 3-2 heading to the locker room.

Facing a one-goal deficit heading back onto the ice for the third the River Dragons then turned on the jets and MJ Graham fired one across the face of goal and Gehrett Sargis was able to tap home his 7th of the season for a tie game 3-3.

Then another controversial moment struck on the weekend series when the River Dragons scored a shorthanded goal despite Zack Quinn's helmet being knocked off on the initial shot. Jake Howie then tapped in to the open net and even with a helmetless goalie in net the goal ended up counting for a 4-3 lead for Columbus.

With the lead in hand for the first time of the night the River Dragons then added another tally with Ivan Bondarenko getting his 2nd of the game on a far post shot and in with a little more than 5 minutes to go.

With those three points in hand the River Dragons can clinch a spot in the Ignite Cup playoffs tomorrow afternoon with any sort of win against Carolina.

Jacob Caffrey gets the win tonight with a 28 save effort. Zack Quinn takes the loss with 22 saves on 27 shots.

The same two teams conclude the weekend and season series against each other tomorrow afternoon at the Civic Center. 4:05 puck drop means a 3:35 puck drop on the River Dragons network. Tickets available at the Civic Center box office or on TicketMaster.

Three Stars of the Game

Ivan Bondarenko

Jake Schultz

Tommy Tsicos