Game Recaps 2/15/25

HC VENOM at BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS

BB Clinch Playoff Berth

by Brooks Hill



Binghamton, NY - The Binghamton Black Bears defeated the HC Venom in dominating fashion 11-5 on Saturday night. Tyson Kirkby lead the way with five points, Gavin Yates and Don Olivieri followed right behind with four, and six other players had multi-point games. With their regulation win, the Black Bears have clinched a playoff spot to defend their title. 

In the weekend rematch, Binghamton was the team scoring often and early. CJ Stubbs and Don Olivieri each scored with the first two minutes, giving the home team the early lead. Tyson Kirkby and Austin Thompson followed in behind, and the Black Bears were out to a 4-0 lead. The Venom did get on the board at 17:54 however, Zac Sirota back in the line-up, scored with 11 seconds left to go in the period! Complete domination in the first as Binghamton was up 5-1. 

The Venom bit back in the second to start the period off. The visitors scored two quick goals, and in the blink of an eye, the lead had shrunk to 5-3. That seemed to be the motivation the Black Bears needed as they found the answers in form of a pair of Dakota Bohn (2) and Scott Ramaekers goals. At the second intermission the lead had grown to 8-3. 

The Black Bears continued to pour it on the third. Austin Thompson, Chris Mott, and Stubbs again scored, pushing the game to a 11-3 score. The Venom did not go quietly, scoring two unassisted goals in the final five minutes, inching closer, but the outcome had already been decided. Black Bears 11-5 on Saturday night. 

Binghamton is headed back to the postseason for the fourth time in franchise history, defending their 2024 title. 

DANBURY HAT TRICKS at PORT HURON PROWLERS

Prowlers Take Hard-Hitting Game From Hat Tricks

by Will Wiegelman



Port Huron, MI - A physical, fight-filled affair between the Port Huron Prowlers and Danbury Hat Tricks ended with a 4-2 win for the home side at McMorran Place on February 15. The teams combined for 82 penalty minutes including three game misconducts.

Things started normal enough with the ice breaking goal in the final minute of the opening period. Josh Labelle floated a wrist shot through traffic to give Danbury the lead heading into the intermission.

Just over a minute into the second, the first fight of the night came with Adam Heinzl dropping the mitts with Noah Robinson. A few minutes later, the Prowlers tied things up as Matt Graham found Reggie Millette all along in the slot.

Things broke loose a couple of minutes after that after Lukas Lacny threw a big hit on Kyle Gonzalez. In the ensuing fray, Jordan Popoff and Ben Brockway fought and Vadim Frolov also dropped his gloves in a separate incident. All three received game misconducts for continuing an altercation. Bryan Parsons and Aleksandr Vasilyev fought as well before Port Huron took the lead in the final minutes.

Shortly following a Prowlers power play, a scramble in front saw the puck slide to Lukas Lacny all alone on the back side. He deposited the puck in the open cage to make it 2-1 with under two to play in the period. 1:16 later, another net-mouth scramble led to the puck popping out for Alex Johnson. His shot hit Austin Fetterly on its way into the net and Port Huron took a two-goal advantage to the third.

After one more fight between Matt Graham and Chris Hunt, Graham hit the empty net to seal the deal. Connor Woolley got one back shortly after to make it 4-2.

Graham and Lacny were named the first and second stars of the game, respectively, with a goal and two assists apiece. Reid Cooper made 32 saves in net.

Woolley added a helper to his goal while Connor McCollum stopped 31 shots.

The Prowlers and Hat Tricks face each other three times over the next two weeks, all in Danbury. First, Port Huron visits HC Venom in their new home in Poughkeepsie, New York. Puck drop on February 21 is slated for 7:15 and the game will be streamed live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.

Hat Tricks Win Streak Ends at Seven, Fall to Prowlers 4-2

by Doug Lattuca



Port Huron, MI - The Port Huron Prowlers scored three unanswered goals in the second period to take down the Hat Tricks, 4-2, and end Danbury’s seven-game win streak and season-best 10-game point streak (9-0-1) at McMorran Arena on Saturday.

Reginald Millette tied the game at one in the slot on a Danbury giveaway at 15:52. Lukas Lacny and Austin Fetterly each tucked home loose pucks at the edge of the right circle at 18:16 and 19:35 as the Prowlers took a 3-1 lead into the third.

The second period didn’t end without loads of exchanged punches. The Prowlers showed boiling tempers from their five-goal loss on Friday and were quick to throw haymakers in multiple sequences.

The Hat Tricks were charged with 41 penalty minutes in the middle frame, including game misconducts on Vadim Frolov and Jordan Popoff for continuing altercations. Frolov and Aleksandr Vasilyev were also issued fighting majors.

Forward Chris Hunt and Port Huron’s Matt Graham also engaged in fisticuffs at 9:50 of the third and each sat for five minutes.

Port Huron outshot Danbury 12-9 in the final frame.

Connor Woolley scored the final goal of the game with 1:14 left, sneaking a wrist shot off Port Huron goaltender Reid Cooper’s pad. Woolley posted his eighth goal of the season and first since Dec. 20 in a 7-6 home loss against Motor City.

Josh Labelle’s wrist shot from outside the left circle lifted the Hat Tricks ahead, 1-0, with 21 seconds remaining in the first period.

Danbury’s power play finished 0-for-6. Its first chance to cash in came on a high-sticking call against Port Huron’s Kenneth Styles about nine minutes into the first.

The penalty kill delivered again for the Hat Tricks, as it went 8-for-8 and held clear on all opportunities for the third time in four games.

Conor McCollum made 31 saves but fell to 14-10-4 with the loss. McCollum had won in four consecutive starts.

Up next, the Hat Tricks finish their three-game road trip in Watertown against the Wolves on Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

WATERTOWN WOLVES at MOTOR CITY ROCKERS

Rockers Give Up Three Shorthanded Goals, Fall To Wolves 6-4

by Brady Beedon



Fraser, MI - Giving up one shorthanded goal is tough to overcome. Giving up three makes securing a win a near impossible task.

That is exactly what happened Saturday evening at Big Boy Arena, as Watertown topped Motor City 6-4.

The night started off strong for the Rockers, when new addition Chris Corgan found the back of the net just 91 seconds into the contest, putting the Rockers up 1-0.

The lead would be short-lived, when Davide Gaeta netted his third goal of the weekend, tying the game for the Wolves at 1-1.

Motor City regained the lead in under five minutes, when Yegor Kabatayev scored his first in a Rocker uniform, giving Motor City the 2-1 lead.

Once again Watertown would answer, as Harris Ludlow Jr poked the puck away on a Rocker power-play, beating Motor City goalie Bryn Sommerfelt to even the score again at 2-2.

The score would stay tied after 20 minutes of action, keeping the score even into the second period.

Watertown would strike first in the middle frame, when Wolve’s forward Trevor Lord forced another turnover on a Rocker powerplay, burying the second shorthanded goal of the night, giving Watertown the 3-2 advantage.

Before the second period closed, Corgan found the back of the net for the second time, bringing the score to a 3-3 deadlock after two periods.

The third period would belong to Watertown.

Just over six minutes into the final period, Quinn Chevers scored his first in a Watertown sweater, giving the Wolves the lead once again, 4-3.

Down a goal, Motor City would get yet another powerplay, and yet again, a turnover put the puck on Lord’s stick, and he didn’t miss the opportunity to bury his 22nd of the season, putting the Wolves up 5-3, marking the third short handed goal of the night for Watertown. 

The Rockers kept fighting, with the extra attacker on the ice, Kyle Stevens brought Motor City within one, 5-4.

The comeback bid was short-lived, as Carter Thorton found the empty net in the final 90 seconds, putting a cherry on top of a Watertown 6-4 win.

The loss is the fourth in a row for Motor City, and the victory is the fifth straight for Watertown.

Motor City heads on the road to take on the reigning Commissioner Cup champions, the Binghamton Black Bears for a two-game tilt. 

The Rockers return to Big Boy Arena on Feb. 28, when Columbus comes to town for the first time this season.

BLUE RIDGE BOBCATS at COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS

DRAGONS SWEEP BOBCATS

Columbus Takes All Six Points With 4-1 Win Saturday Night

by Tom Callahan



Columbus, GA - The Columbus River Dragons finished a weekend sweep of the Blue Ridge Bobcats thanks to a 4-1 win on Saturday night at the Columbus Civic Center.

Columbus got the scoring underway early as Justin MacDonald hit Ryan Hunter on a breakaway pass at the Blue Ridge blueline. Hunter broke in and deked to the backhand, beating Hunter Virostek (39 saves, L) for the opening goal at 4:31.

Blue Ridge would tie the game at the 9:00 mark on a goal from Jakub Vulf, but that was it for the Bobcats offense in the game.

Cody Wickline scored just 31 seconds into the second period for the eventual game winner, and goals from Alexander Jmaeff and Alex Stojohann made it stand up.

Sammy Bernard made 37 saves in the win for the River Dragons to earn his 14th win of the season.

Notes:

• Hunter (5-10-15) and MacDonald (9-11-20) extended their scoring streaks to a season high eight games each.
• Alex Storjohann and Cody Wickline each recorded a one goal, one assist game.
• Columbus is now done with the season series against Blue Ridge, taking three of the four games for a 3-1 mark.
• Paul Fregeau made his season debut for the River Dragons wearing #95. The fan favorite signed earlier in the day and delighted fans with a spirited scrap in the second period.

Columbus returns to action on the road in Athens against the Rock Lobsters on Wednesday night at 7:05 pm. The next River Dragons home game is Friday, February 21 at 7:35 pm against the Monroe Moccasins. It’s Sensory Safe Night, with reduced lights, sounds and other stimuli so that those who are not ordinarily able to enjoy a live sporting event feel welcome! Please contact the River Dragons office with any questions at (706) 507-4625. Tickets are available for all remaining River Dragons single season games at the Civic Center Box Office and online at TicketMaster.com.

CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS at MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES

Thunderbirds Claim Season Series Sweep in 4-2 Victory Over Sea Wolves

by Jon Kliment



Biloxi, MS - The Carolina Thunderbirds and Mississippi Sea Wolves concluded their four game series tonight at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. With Carolina taking all three previous meetings the onus was on the Sea Wolves to find a path to victory and earn some points against the top team in the division.

Carolina once again found the back of the net first as Roman Kraemer picked his corner and placed a perfect shot to beat Richie Parent 3:32 into the game to give Carolina the 1-0 lead. 5:04 later Jiri Pestuka doubled up the Carolina advantage as he shot a puck from the top of the slot and followed up and buried the rebound behind Parent, 2-0. Mississippi received a power play on a Zach White hook that saw White and Ross Bartlett drop the gloves. On the ensuing power play Turner threw a puck on Mario Cavaliere that ended up in the back of net to bring the Sea Wolves back to within a goal, 2-1.

With no scoring in the second period it seemed plausible for the Sea Wolves entering the final frame. Gus Ford attempted to dash any hopes for Mississippi with a goal 43 seconds into the frame to give Carolina a 3-1 lead. However a Brendan Hussey tip on a Lucas Piekarczyk shot at 7:05 kept hope alive drawing the Sea Wolves back to within one goal, 3-2. Clay Keeley dashed that hope at 13:23 on a power play against Richie Parent for a trip Keeley found the back of the net from the point for a 4-2 lead.

Parent stopped 23 of 27 in the loss.

The Sea Wolves return to the Mississippi Coast Coliseum to take on the Baton Rouge Zydeco tomorrow afternoon at 4pm.

ATHENS ROCK LOBSTERS at DASHERS of DANVILLE

Reller’s Hat Trick Lifts Athens

by Devin Dobek



Danville, IL - Another David vs Goliath matchup would come down to the wire in Danville this past Saturday. In a back and forth game of runs, Brandon Reller’s hat trick helped propel Athens over the Dashers late surge in a hotly contested game. 

After a hard fought battle last night, Athens and the Dashers hit the ice for their second of three meetings. The game started with a positive for the Dashers. After taking an early penalty they went shorthanded. However, on the kill Blake Siewertsen forced a turnover and made a great dangle to create a chance all alone that he buried to put the Dashers in front 1-0. This was the 4th shorthanded tally for the Dashers this year, and a great way to open up the opening frame. The lead didn’t last long as less than 3 minutes later Brandon Reller lit the lamp to tie it. The Dasher offense disappeared after this, being held to just 5 shots through 20 minutes. In the final 4 minutes, Athens broke the deadlock when Daniil Glukharev one-timed a shot past Rutherford to make it 2-1. Athens took their 2-1 lead to the dressing room leading in shots 15-5.

Period 2 the Dashers had to find a way to get their game back and play to their identity, but against a juggernaut of an offense their workload would increase quickly. It took just 77 seconds for Brandon Reller to add his second tally and make it 3-1. The ensuing 7 minutes neither team had many opportunities. Then Reller fired a bullet into the net again around the midway point, earning his first career hat trick and making it 4-1. Reller came into the weekend with 4 points, and doubled that total with his 4th goal in 5 periods. Safe to say, he was HOT, and the Dashers struggled to contain him. Before the Dasher faithful could finish mourning the 4th tally, a 5th was added off a turnover that sprung Virgili who made a beautiful pass to Malik Johnson who one-timed it on goal to make it 5-1. After this, the Dashers' pressure resumed. They were rewarded when Siewertsen beat Lavalliere over the blocker for his second of the game to make it 5-2. The Dashers outshot Athens 16-12 in period 2, but were outscored 3-1. Trailing by 3, it would take a miraculous third period for the Dashers to climb back into the contest. 

Now or never for the Dashers. Neither team could get much going through the first half of the third. The Dashers did have one man advantage chance in the front half but couldn’t do anything with it. Shortly after the infraction expired, Kim Miettinen sent a shot from the point that was tipped in by Trey Fischer, for his 5th of the season and first goal since November 30th. The lead dwindled to 2. Shortly after, Lucas Rothe was assessed a delay of game penalty. To the shock of everyone, Zac Horn forced a turnover at the blue line and tucked a backhanded breakaway through the five-hole of Lavalliere for the Dashers second shorthanded goal of the night making it 5-4 with just inside 7 minutes remaining in regulation. The Dashers had a whole lot of zone time down the stretch, even outshooting Athens 13-9 in the final frame, but the sand would run out. Filip Virgili’s empty net goal solidified a 6-4 victory for the Rock Lobsters, their 7th straight. 

The two teams will battle one last time this season tomorrow at 4:05 inside the David S. Palmer Arena. 



Reller’s Hat Trick Powers Rock Lobsters Past Dashers in 6-4 Win

by Bryce Gaubert



Danville, IL - Brandon Reller’s first hat trick of the season led Athens to a 6-4 victory over Danville at David S. Palmer Arena on Saturday night.

Athens fell behind after a shorthanded goal by Blake Siewertsen of the Dashers, who scored on a solo effort past William Lavalliere. The Rock Lobsters responded just two minutes later as Reller netted his fifth goal of the season. Athens added to its lead with under four minutes remaining when Daniil Glukharyov buried a second-chance opportunity.

Reller got the scoring started just 1:17 into the second period, rifling a shot past Parker Rutherford, and completed his hat trick eight minutes later on a feed from Garrett Milan. Malik Johnson found the scoresheet just past the midway point of the period, scoring into a wide-open net on a pass from Filip Virgili. Danville responded three minutes later as Siewertsen tallied his second goal of the game.

The Dashers controlled the third period, scoring two unanswered goals from Trey Fischer and Zac Horn, but their comeback effort fell short when Virgili sealed the 6-4 win with an empty-netter.

Reller earned first-star honors with his three-goal performance, while Milan was named third star after assisting on three of the six Rock Lobsters’ goals.

The Rock Lobsters (26-4-2, 71 points) return to action tomorrow night as they close out their three-game series with the Danville Dashers. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. EST.