PLAYOFF EDITION
ATHENS ROCK LOBSTER at COLUMBUS RIVER DRAGONS
RIVER DRAGONS TAKE GAME ONE 7-4 Moore, Storjohann Score Twice in Win
by Tom Callahan
Columbus, GA - Kyle Moore and Alex Storjohann each scored twice in a wild 7-4 Game One win for the Columbus River Dragons over the Athens Rock Lobsters in the Continental Division Semifinal.
Moore scored the first two goals of the game, the first on the power play just over two minutes in and the second off a giveaway in the slot to beat starter William Lavalliere (3 goals against, 4 saves) and make it 2-0 at 10:31of the first period. Twenty-one seconds later Cody Wickline scored an unassisted goal during a four-on-four stretch to make it 3-0.
Athens would get one back before the end of the frame from Daniil Glukharyev to make it 3-1 at the break.
Storjohann opened the scoring in the second period with a power play goal of his own at 2:59 to make it 4-1, and then Hunter Bersani scored a shorthanded unassisted goal at 4:34 to make it 5-2. Justin MacDonald recorded his first of the playoffs to make it 6-2 at 8:42 but Athens clawed back a pair of goals and it was 6-4 after 40 minutes of play.
In the third, things finally calmed down after nine power plays were awarded to the teams through two periods, and the scoring abated as well. It took until the Rock Lobsters pulled Josh Rosenzweig for the extra attacker for Storjohann to net his second goal of the game, an empty net power play goal to wrap the scoring at 19:24 of the third period.
Trevor Babin earned the win with 31 saves on 35 shots against.
Notes: - Columbus set a franchise record with four unassisted goals in one game. All four unassisted goals were scored a different way: even strength, four-on-four, shorthanded, and power play/empty net.
- The seven goals scored is the most allowed in a single game by Athens in franchise history.
- Rosenzweig took the loss for Athens, allowing three goals against on 19 shots.
- The River Dragons finished the game 3-for-5 on the power play and Athens 1-for-7.
Game Two is slated for Friday night at 7:05 pm at Akins Ford Arena in Athens. Game Three (if necessary) will be Saturday night in Athens as well. Full coverage can be found on the River Dragons YouTube channel @ColumbusRiverDragons.
Chaotic Start to the Playoffs Goes Columbus’ Way
by Matteen Zibanejadrad
Columbus, GA - The Athens Rock Lobsters fell to the Columbus River Dragons 7-4 Wednesday night in Game One of the Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.
The game didn’t start off on the right foot for Athens, who found themselves down by three goals halfway through the first period.
The Rock Lobsters found their scoring touch before the first intermission, as Daniil Glukharyov rifled a wrister past Trevor Babin to cut the deficit to 3-1.
Chaos ensued in the second period, with the River Dragons netting on the power play to restore a three-goal lead.
After rookie Andrew Stefura got one back for the visitors, Columbus would score two unanswered goals through Hunter Bersani and Justin MacDonald.
The pair of unanswered goals in the second period would be a feat replicated by the Rock Lobsters. Kayson Gallant scored on a power play which was supplemented with an extra attacker after head coach Steve Martinson emptied the net.
Glukharyov scored his second of the night to pull Athens to within two; however, Alex Storjohann tallied his second with a power-play empty netter and ice the game at 7-4.
The Rock Lobsters return to home ice on Friday for the first home playoff game in franchise history. Puck drops at 7:05 p.m. with the River Dragons leading the series 1-0. | 
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