GAME RECAPS 4/15/23

CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS at COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS

RIVER DRAGONS DROP SHOOTOUT, FINISH SECOND IN CONTINENTAL DIVISION

Columbus Opens Playoffs Against Motor

City on Wednesday

by Tom Callahan

Winston-Salem, NC - The Carolina Thunderbirds managed to out-last the Columbus River Dragons in a shootout 4-3 on Saturday night at the Columbus Civic Center to clinch the Continental Division title.

The River Dragons built a 3-1 lead through 40 minutes on goals by Kyle Moore, Lane King (power play) and Alex Storjohann. But in the third period the Thunderbirds rallied to tie the game and force the eventual shootout.

In the shootout, the Thunderbirds scored on both shot attempts while the River Dragons came up scoreless in two tries against Greg Hussey (39 saves).

The loss means the River Dragons finish as the second seed in the Continental Division and will face the Motor City Rockers in the first round of the Commissioner’s Cup Playoffs.

MISSISSIPPI SEA WOLVES at MOTOR CITY ROCKERS

Rockers Close Regular Season With 5-2 Win Over SeaWolves

By Ben Szilagy

Fraser, MI – Motor City Rockers cruise to a 5-2 win over the Mississippi SeaWolves to close out the regular season with two straight wins before the playoffs.

The Rockers were able to leave the first period with a 1-0 lead thanks to a goal scored by Cody Oakes.

Dante Suffredini stopped the puck at the blue line in the defensive zone and then quickly chipped it to Brad Reitter. Reitter then offered a stretch pass rink wide into the neutral zone to Oakes. Oakes walked it into the offensive zone and fired a quick shot through the five-hole for his second of the season and 1-0 lead with 3:25 to play in the first.

Motor City was able to build its lead in the second period when Suffredini offered the puck to Connor Inger in the neutral zone. Inger then floated a saucer pass to Declan Conway who gathered the puck in the slot. He then deked, forehand to back-hand, for a 2-0 lead and his 27th of the season.

The SeaWolves got back into the game on a breakaway midway through the second period.

Yanni Liarakos cleared the puck to center that hopped over a Rocker stick and behind the defense. Racing to collect the puck was Yaroslav Yevdokimov as he collected and started the breakaway that he finished through the five-hole to cut into the lead to 2-1 with 9:23 to play in the second.

Two minutes later, Scott Coash earned his first of the night finishing a give and go from Conway that Coash put away in the near side corner, top shelf for a 3-1 lead.

In the third Yevdokimov added his second of the game to pull Mississippi within one, 3-2, for his 52nd of the year before the Rockers pulled away with two goals of their own.

Ryan Rotondi added his second of the weekend when he collected the puck at the point and fired a quick hard shot that was deflected by Jackson Bond who covered the play late. That deflection directed the puck over the shoulder of Joe Sheppard for a 4-2 lead with 13:34 left in the game.

It was the second of the weekend for Rotondi, and third of the season.

Coash finished the scoring with his second of the night with 7:52 remaining earning his 40th of the season with a little puck luck. As he entered the zone, he entered the zone and was about to offer a centering pass but the puck bounced off a defender’s skate and into the net for a 5-2 lead.

The Rockers will host the either Carolina Thunderbirds or the Columbus RiverDragons on Wednesday night at 7:00pm at Big Boy Arena in the first round of the FPHL Playoffs. Tickets are $10 at the door or on MCRockershockey.com/tickets.

Sea Wolves Season Ends With 5-2 Loss

By Nick Roesch

Fraser, MI – The Mississippi Sea Wolves were unable to find redemption on Saturday night as they suffered a 5-2 defeat against the Motor City Rockers at Big Boy Arena.

The first period saw just one goal when Motor City’s Cody Oakes tucked in his shot at 16:35 with help from Dante Suffredini and Brad Reitter.

Declan Conway extended the Rockers' lead 9:18 into period two. One minute and 19 seconds later, Yaroslav Yevdokimov struck on a breakaway for his 100th point of the season and the Sea Wolves’ first goal of the night. Scott Coash replied on Motor City’s behalf for the final goal of the stanza.

The score was 3-1 entering the third period, but Yevdokimov scored again after five minutes. Ryan Rotondi and Coash combined insurance goals to keep the Sea Wolves away for good.

The Sea Wolves see their season conclude with a record of 17-35-4, while the Rockers take the Continental Division’s third seed heading into the Commissioner’s Cup Playoffs.

DANBURY HAT TRICKS at PORT HURON PROWLERS

PROWLERS DROP SEASON FINALE TO DANBURY

by Will Wiegelman

Port Huron, MI - The Port Huron Prowlers ended the regular season with a 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Danbury Hat Tricks on April 15 at McMorran Place. Port Huron finishes 28-24-4 with 86 points.

Jonny Ruiz opened the scoring with a power play goal 7:24 into the game. He banked the puck off of Wyatt Hoflin after the net had come off its moorings. The goal stood and Danbury took a 1-0 lead.

A few minutes later, Daniel McKitrick started a two-on-one and sauced a perfect feed to Ruiz for the game’s second goal.

Later in the frame, Daniel Amesbury and Alex Johnson exchanged words and then Amesbury went after Johnson with a linesman in the middle. Both got five minutes for fighting while Amesbury picked up an extra 12 penalty minutes.

The 2-0 score held into the second period until Tucker Scantlebury’s pass hit a Hat Trick defender and got through Brian Wilson to cut the lead in half.

With under seven minutes to play in the game, Amesbury came through the crease and took out Hoflin’s leg. Adam Heinzl went right after Amesbury and a brouhaha ensued. It resulted in Heinzl, Riley Robertson and John MacDonald being sent to the locker room early with 10-minute misconducts.

Michael Falanga scored a dagger with under five minutes to play and then more misconducts were handed out a couple of minutes later. Amesbury and four Prowlers each got 10 minutes and early showers. The teams combined for 144 penalty minutes in the game.

Dmitry Kuznetsov hit the empty net to seal the deal.

Wyatt Hoflin returned to the crease for Port Huron and made 28 saves.

Ruiz scored twice and McKitrick had two helpers for Danbury. Wilson made 50 saves in his franchise-record 31st win.

The Prowlers begin their quest for the Commissioner’s Cup on April 21 with puck drop at McMorran Place scheduled for 7 P.M. Tickets are available online at phprowlers.com/tickets or by calling the box office at 810-985-6166.

ELMIRA MAMMOTH at BINGHAMTON BLACK BEARS

Binghamton Beats Elmira, 5-4 in Regular Season Finale

by Brooks Hill

Binghamton, NY -The Binghamton Black Bears defeated the Elmira Mammoth for the final time this season 5-4.

In front of 4,445, Austin Thompson started the scoring, going through the five-hole of the Elmira goaltender. Chad Lopez picked up his 29th assist of the year on the Thompson tally, giving Binghamton a 1-0 lead, 2:27 into the period. The Black Bears turned a puck over in their own end, leading to an Elmira goal from Thomas McGuire, evening the score. Binghamton had a quick response, as Don Oliveri continues to impress with his 11th of the season. Gavin Yates recorded the helper and continues to lead the team in assists with 38. Just like last night, Binghamton led 2-1 after the first period.

The teams combined for five goals in the middle period. Olivieri scored the goal of the night with a spin-a-roma slap shot extending the Black Bears lead to 3-1. Elmira used their timeout early, and the response was heard throughout the arena. The Mammoth put two quick goals on the board from Ricards Jelenskis and Luke Richards that erased the Black Bears lead. Yates took matter into his hands, scoring his 21st of the season giving Binghamton a temporary lead. Binghamton native, Geno DeAneglo, scored his 1st goal against his former team on a breakawaygoal. All square at 4-4 after forty minutes of play.

Unlike the second, only one goal would be tallied in the final period. Connor Smith delivered his 5th of the season, and 5th of the night for the Black Bears. Binghamton had a few more opportunities to extend their lead, but unable to grab an insurance goal. Joseph denied all 10 shots in the third, earning his 6th straight win. Black Bears defeated the Mammoth 5-4 in the final regular season game.

Binghamton finishes with a record of 36-15-5 with 110 points, 2nd in the Empire Division. Binghamton enters the playoffs on their longest winning streak of the season, now at six. The Black Bears will take on the Watertown Wolves in the first round of the Commissioners Cup Playoffs. The Series begins Friday in Watertown, then shifts to Binghamton for games two and three. Playoff tickets are available at binghamtonblackbears.com/tickets

WATERTOWN WOLVES at DELAWARE THUNDER

Thunder Split Final Series of the Season

by Jeff Heacock

Harrington, DE - Delaware lost a tough one at home to Watertown to close out the 2022-2023 season 5-4 in overtime.

The Watertown Wolves opened the scoring 5 and a half minutes into the first period on a goal by Don Carter, Jr. Midway through the first period the Thunder tied it up when Houston Wilson scored a goal from Marquis Grant-Mentis and Toivo Hannikainen. The Wolves then regained the lead on a goal by Everett Thompson. Watertown then extended the lead to 3-1 on a powerplay goal by Pier-Luc Bellard.

In the second period, both goalies had a strong showing to keep the margin at 3-1 Watertown until the Wolves committed back to back penalties to give the Thunder a 5 on 3 powerplay. Delaware was able to capitalize with 2 power play goals by Charlie Bedard in a 15 second span. The score was all knotted up at 3-3 at the second intermission.

Five minutes into the third period Charlie Bedard finished the hat trick to give Delaware their first lead of the contest. Watertown was able to tie the score again at 4 when John Amanatidis scored a power play goal with less than 9 minutes to go. This is how regulation would end.

In the overtime Watertown got the game winner from Everett Thompson 1:39 in to end Delaware's season.