GAME RECAPS 2/9/23

DANBURY HAT TRICKS vs WATERTOWN WOLVES

Hat Tricks Win First Game of the Weekend Series

by Jeff Barrett

Watertown, NY - The Watertown Wolves were finally back home in the Watertown Municipal Arena after nearly a month on the road, to host the number one team in the Empire division of the FPHL, the Danbury Hat Tricks, for the first of three nights in a row.

Both starting goaltenders were tested early in the contest with both standing tall against the challenge. Brian Wilson got the call for the Hat Tricks, and would make several key saves, including killing off a Watertown 5 minute power play midway through the frame. Watertown's Greg Hussey was equally up to the challenge,stopping all 15 shots he faced in the first 20 minutes.

The Wolves lit the lamp first when Brandon Baker sent the puck from the left point towards the goal. Wilson would make the initial save, but Elijah Wilson tipped the rebound slightly to the left, and Parker Moskal was able to send it home on the left side, scoring the lone goal of the first and giving the Wolves a 1-0 lead. Shots on goal through the first were dead even at 15 each.

Danbury would tie the game at one a piece just 3:15 into the second period on a John MacDonald even strength goal to quiet the Watertown faithful. Michael Marcheson gave the Hat Tricks their first lead of the night at 7:48 of the frame, assisted by Daniel McKitrick, on a nifty pass that found Marcheson all alone on the right side to just poke it home.

Watertown was able to knot the game back up 2-2 when Parker Moskal scored his second goal of the night, with the assist going to Elijah Wilson at the 11:25 mark. The period ended tied at 2 with Watertown out shooting Danbury 15 to 10.

Period number three found both teams scrapping hard trying to break the tie. Again it was the goal keepers controlling the action through the first half of the period, until the 12:11 mark when Lucas DeBenedet was able to get lose on the left hand side and take a beautiful feed from Daniel McKitrick and Michael Marcheson, and put the Hat Tricks back into the lead 3-2.

Debenedet would extend the Hat Trick lead at 17:30 of the period, assisted by Jarod Yau and Daniel McKitrick giving Danbury a 4-2 lead.

The Wolves would battle hard over the remaining two and a half minutes but lose a heartbreaker 3-2. Danbury outshot Watertown 12 to 10 in the third on their way to the victory. Danbury was 0 for 5 on power plays While Watertown went 0 for 4.

The teams will meet two more times this weekend in Watertown with puck dropping at 7:30 both nights.