Game Recaps 10/26/24

PORT HURON PROWLERS at BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS

Black Bears Down Prowlers In Fiery Overtime Matchup

by Cole Parenti

Binghamton, NY - The Black Bears crossed paths with a division rival as the Port Huron Prowlers came to town for a Saturday night matchup. This would be the first meeting of the two as the Prowlers made the trip to the Visions Veteran Memorial Arena. The Black Bears would skate away with the 5-4 final in overtime.

The first period saw some fireworks as both teams came out with an emphasis on physicality. Austin Thompson would get Binghamton on the board early as he threw a puck off a defender in front giving Binghamton the first lead of the game. Alex Johnson responded on the two-man advantage locking the game up at 1 where it would stand going to the locker room.

The second period saw more of the same as both teams had time on the power play. Dan Chartrand was the first benefactor of the power play as he scored to give Port Huron a 2-1 lead. Cam Clark coming off his heroics last night was able to tie the game unassisted as he stole and deposited a puck into the Port Huron goal. The period would end with some quick action as Lukas Lacny scored in the final minutes restoring Port Huron’s lead. Just seconds later Blake Tosto responded as the two teams once again skated off to the locker room tied.

The third period was a tight affair until Auston Thompson broke the tie with his second of the game. The Black Bears seemed destined to walk away with a 4-3 victory but Dan Chartrand had other ideas as his second of the game knotted the score up and sent the game to overtime.

The overtime saw the home team leave with the victory as Kyle Stephan finished a beautiful feed from Jesse Anderson sending the Binghamton faithful home happy. Nolan Egbert stood tall as he stopped 16 of the 20 shots he saw. His counterpart Valtteri Nousiainen also strong turning away 29 of the 34 shots asked of him. The Black Bears get their second overtime and fourth win in a row. The Black Bears are back in action Friday as they meet the Hudson Valley Venom on the road.

Prowlers Get Late Goal But Fall in OT

by Will Wiegelman

Binghamton, NY -  The Port Huron Prowlers got a late tying goal from Daniel Chartrand but lost a back-and-forth overtime thriller 5-4 in Binghamton. Kyle Stephan was the hero as the Black Bears won beyond regulation for the second time in as many nights.

Austin Thompson started the scoring to continue his torrid start to the season under two minutes in. The goal was his team-high fifth of the season. The Port Huron power play responded later in the period as Alex Johnson caught a seam pass from Matt Graham and sent it upstairs for his 100th in the FPHL. He’s also on a three-game goal streak.

Early in the second, the Prowlers grabbed a lead for the first time this season as Daniel Chartrand tipped home a drive from Ludwig Thellström for another power-play strike. With less than three minutes left in the period, Cameron Clark stole the puck behind the net and scored a wraparound to knot things back up at two.

With Port Huron on the man advantage in the final minute of the frame, Graham found Lukas Lacny in front for a tap in but 20 seconds later, Blake Tosto power to the net and slid the puck home for another level score.

It stayed tied until late in the period when the puck pinballed to the blue paint and Thompson shoved in his second tally of the night. The Prowlers had to kill off a penalty with under five minutes to play and just as it expired, Chartrand stripped Camron Cervone of the puck in the Black Bear’s slot and beat Nolan Egbert to send the game to overtime.

Two minutes into the extra session, Binghamton got an odd-man rush and Jesse Anderson floated a back-door feed to Stephan who went top shelf to end the game.

Chartrand was the third star with two goals while Johnson contributed a goal and an assist and Graham dished out two helpers. Valtteri Nousiainen made 29 saves.

Anderson led the Black Bears with three assists while Stephan, Tosto and Clark had a goal and an assist each. Thompson finished with two tallies and Tyson Kirkby picked up two helpers to extend his league lead in that category to 10 on the season. Egbert got his first win of the year with a 16-save performance.

The Prowlers return to Michigan for a home-and-home to open up November and Friday’s game is Military Appreciation Night at McMorran Place. Tickets are available at phprowlers.com/tickets.

CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS at BLUE RIDGE BOBCATS

Bobcats Bitten By Bad Bounces in 5-1 Loss to Carolina

by Brett Wiseman

Wytheville, VA -  The Blue Ridge Bobcats were bitten by a slew of bad bounces and unfortunate events in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the Carolina Thunderbirds on Slap Shot Night at Hitachi Energy Arena.

Tristan Simm scored his second goal as a Bobcat within the final five minutes of the first period to tie the game, but Carolina responded with four unanswered in the final 40 plus minutes.

The two teams meet again Friday night in Winston-Salem at 7:35 PM. Coverage on BobcatsTV and WCGX The Cat begins at 7:05.

MOTOR CITY ROCKERS at WATERTOWN WOLVES

Wolves Winning Streak Snapped by Rockers 

by Jeff Barrett

Watertown, NY -  Following last nights 7-1 win, the Wolves hosted the Motor City Rockers for a second night in a row in the Watertown Municipal Arena. The Wolves came in riding a 4 game win streak, while the Rockers were trying to bounce back after dropping their last two outings.

What began as a defensive battle would change in a hurry with just two and a half minutes to play in the period. First it was the Rockers TJ Sneath netting a power play goal beating a stickless Anton Borodkin to make the score 1-0. Cody Oakes and Josh Colton were credited with the assists.

Just 1:02 later the Wolves tied the score at 1-1 off a Trevor Neumann goal sliding a rebound past Rockers starter Trevor Babin. assisted by Dylan Infantino and Carter Thornton.

Less than a minute later the Wolves jumped to their first lead of the night when Chase DiBari slid a pass to Ludlow Harris Jr. for a one timer past Babin. Carter Thornton was credited with his second assist of the game.

Watertown outshot Motor City 15-5 in the first and took the 2-1 lead to the locker room.

At the the 4:53 mark of period number 2, the Rocker got their second goal of the game making the score 2-2 on a Clayton Hightower one timer of a nice feed from Eli Rivers and Avery Smith.

The Rockers would assume the lead for the second time on the night when TJ Sneath nets his second goal of the evening at 7:03 assisted by Tim Delaney and Chris Ciolek making it 3-2.

The 11:42 mark found the Wolves Kyle Heitzner lighting the lamp to once again tie the game, assisted by Michael Mercurio and Ludlow Harris Jr.

Just 2:6 later Watertown jumped back into the lead on a Carter Thornton goal assisted by Timothy Payne.

The Rocker outshot the Wolves for the first time this weekend 17-15 in the second.

2:48 into the third period the Rocker would one again tie the game, this time 4-4 off A Marian Pazitka goal assisted by Clayton Hightower and Dominik Kafka.

Ath the end of regulation the score stayed knotted at 4 each and would send us to overtime. Neither team could capitalize in the extra 5 mins, and we headed to a shootout.

In the shootout, the Rocker Dominik Kafka was the only player to find the back of the net, sending the Rockers to the win and splitting the weekend with the Wolves. 

The Wolves will be back in action next Friday night, here at home, as they host the Danbury Hat Tricks. 

DANBURY HAT TRICKS at HUDSON VALLEY VENOM

Venom Drop 9-3 Decision to Hat Tricks in First Game of I-84 Rivalry

by Jim Cerny

Newburgh, NY - Special teams was the difference in the first meeting of the I-84 rivalry, a 9-3 win for the Danbury Hat Tricks against the Hudson Valley Venom on Saturday at Ice Time Sports Complex.

The Hat Tricks scored five power-play goals and one shorthanded goal to hand the Venom a loss, one night after Hudson Valley won the first game in franchise history, 4-3 over the Port Huron Prowlers.

For the second straight night, Hudson Valley forward Danila Belov opened the scoring. On Saturday, his goal came just 23 seconds into play on the first shot against Hat Tricks goalie Andrew LoRusso.

But Danbury scored the next six goals bridging the first and third periods. Hat Tricks forward Connor Woolley tied it with an even-strength goal at 9:10 of the first period before captain Jonny Ruiz put them ahead for good with a shorthanded breakaway goal at 4:52 of the second period.

It was the start of a big night for Ruiz, who added three assists and finished with four points.

Bohdan Zinchenko’s power-play goal at 14:02 of the second made it 3-1, and Jacob Ratcliffe and Chris Dusek each scored his first goal of the season 45 seconds apart during a 4-on-4 sequence late in the period to put Danbury ahead 5-1.

The third period featured six goals, including four power-play tallies by the Hat Tricks, and two goals for the Venom.

Trailing 6-1, the Venom scored two goals in a span of 1:41to pull within 6-3 midway through the third period. Eimantas Noreika scored his second of the season, roofing a bad-angle shot past LoRusso at 10:28. And Belove followed with his second of the night and third of the season at 12:03. But it wasn’t enough as Danbury answered with three power-play goals, including two by Chase Harwell, to close things out.

Venom goalie John Moriarty made 39 saves on 48 shots. LoRusso finished with 25 saves.

Hat Tricks Dominate Venom, 9-3, in First-Ever Battle of 84

by Doug Lattuca

Newburgh, NY -  Despite falling behind 1-0 just 23 seconds into the first period, the Hat Tricks rattled off six unanswered goals to power past the Hudson Valley Venom in the first installment of the Battle of 84 on Saturday night. Co-head coach and captain Jonny Ruiz's shorthanded goal, and first of the season, early in the second period started the Hat Tricks on a 6-0 stretch en route to a 9-3 victory. Danbury buried five power play goals on 11 chances and defenseman Chris Dusek and Reese Tamburo netted their first career goals. In his first start, Hat Tricks netminder Andrew LoRusso picked up his first professional win making 25 saves on 28 shots.

With the Hat Tricks down 1-0 midway through the first, Connor Woolley redirected a point pass into the back of the net to even the score at 1-1. The Hat Tricks kept the momentum going, potting five straight goals from five different players. Ruiz scored a shorthanded breakaway goal (4:52) followed by Bohdan Zinchenko's bar-down power play strike for his first of the year at 11:02. Jacob Ratcliffe and Chris Dusek scored even-strength goals 45 seconds apart to push the Danbury lead to 5-1.

Just 1:09 into the final frame Labelle got on the board with a power play goal, his first of the 2024-25 campaign, to balloon the lead to five. The Venom would add two goals in 1:31 but more penalties and undisciplined play derailed a Hudson Valley comeback leading to three straight power play goals for Danbury, two from Harwell and one from Tamburo. 

Ruiz finished the game with four points (1g, 3a) to push his season total to six while three other players had three-point nights, Ratcliffe (1g, 2a), Labelle (1g, 2a), and Harwell (2ppg, 1a). 

With the win, the Hat Tricks have recorded points in three straight games (7) and improve to 2-1-1 with seven points through four games.

The Hat Tricks finish off a three-game road stint next weekend, on Friday, Nov. 1 against the Watertown Wolves and Saturday, Nov. 2 versus the Binghamton Black Bears.

ATHENS ROCK LOBSTERS at DASHERS of DANVILLE

Lobsters Drown Dashers

by Devin Dobek

Danville, IL -  Coming off their first victory in front of a lively crowd, the Dashers searched for a weekend sweep of one of the best teams the Fed has to offer. An Athens offensive explosion combined with no fortunate bounces made for a lousy night at David Palmer Arena for the home crowd. 

Athens clearly made it a mission to come out firing in period one. Embarrassed by their previous loss to the winless Dashers, they had a statement to make and never turned back. A pair of quick penalties immediately raised concerns for the home crowd, knowing the sleeping giant of an offense that had just been awoken. These reservations were confirmed when Orca Wiesblatt beat Parker Rutherford on the powerplay to open the scoring. The floodgates would open shortly after when Filip Virgili and Garrett Milan tucked home a pair to conclude a run of 3 goals in 2 minutes and 11 seconds. Once again a much needed intermission couldn’t come sooner for the Danville crew.

Period 2 did not provide a shift in energy out of the locker room for first year head coach AJ Tesoriero’s group. Instead, Athens hit the ground running with Orca Wiesblatt finding the twine once again on the penalty kill to make it 4-0. The bleeding continued with another surge of Lobster goals. As if the run in the first period wasn’t good enough, the Rock Lobsters scored another 3 goals (2 on the powerplay) in a span of 1 minute and 54 seconds to make it 7-0. Following the flurry, Rutherford was lifted from the game for Oscar Wahlgren. The rest of the game a tense theme emerged with both teams exchanging huge hits and subtle cheapshots. The score held with Athens up a touchdown heading to the second break.

Heading to the 3rd period the Dashers were looking for any answer on the offensive side of things. The silver lining of an otherwise forgettable evening came when captain Justin Brausen nipped a top shelf wrister for his 200th career goal in Danville. The Dasher faithful erupted when the milestone was announced over the speakers of David Palmer Arena. The Bucks added another when veteran center Nick Gullo slammed home a one timer on the powerplay which would conclude the night’s scoring at 7-2. 

The Dashers were outshot 59-24 en route to their third defeat of the season. They drop to 1-3 ahead of their three week road trip beginning in Baton Rouge next Friday at 7:05. The Rock Lobsters improve to 5-1 and will be headed to Monroe to take on the Moccasins Halloween night at 6:35. 

BATON ROUGE ZYDECO at MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES 

 Sea Wolves Battle Back, But Lose in Shootout 4-3

by Joshua Davis

Biloxi, MS - The Mississippi Sea Wolves hosted the Baton Rouge Zydeco on their home open for the 2024-2025 season on 10/26/24. The Zydeco got on the board early on a Power Play goal after a double minor by Matt Stoia for unsportsmanlike conduct. The goal was scored at 7:36 into the first by #13 Shane Haggerty and assisted by #9 Gehrig Lindberg and #23 Jackson Bond. 

The second period saw more action with a combined 32 shots, however, only one goal was created off of those aforementioned shots. That goal belongs to #10 Dmitri Kuznetsov at 14:50, who returned to Mississippi for his first game since he has been traded. The assists from the game belonged to #71 Narek Aleksanyan and #4 Roy Namiki. 

The tides seemed to have changed as we entered the third period. After a holding call that soon turned into a double minor after a unsportsmanlike conduct was called on #96 Tyler Larwood, #25 Dalton Anderson capitalized on it with a goal at 8:27. Assist was by #96 Keller Blake. The Baton Rouge Zydeco would attack a while later at 11:13 after they killed off a penalty called on #96 Tyler Larwood, who would also coincidentally score the goal with assist by #71 Narek Aleksanayan. The Sea Wolves would lead a late attack after pulling the goalie with two goals. First goal coming at 18:36 by #23 Don Carter Jr. with #10 Phillip Wong grabbing the assist. The second goal coming at 19:26 when #86 Chuck Costello got a shot from the blue line to tie the game and #96 Blake Keller grabbing the assist. 

After a scoreless overtime ended it would go to overtime with neither #25 Dalton Anderson, #26 Brendan Hussey, or #23 Don Carter Jr able to get a goal. However, one of two of the Baton Rouge shooters would find the net. #10 Dmitri Kuznetsov able to find the back while #34 Jake Cox not able to. However, the Zydeco would end up winning the shootout 1-0. 

The goalies were hot tonight for both teams. #1 Colgan Brendan had 37 shots against and had only 3 goals against with 34 saves. His save percentage was .919 while being perfect during the shootout. On the other side of the ice, #35 Gregory Hussey had 32 shots against while saving 29 of them and having only 3 goals against. His save percentage was .906 and went 1/2 for the shootout. 

The Mississippi Sea Wolves will finally face an opponent other than the Zydeco as they go to Columbus to start a long road trip on Friday November 1st. They won’t return home until Saturday November 16th went they face off against the Zydeco again.