Bobcats Surge in 3rd Period, Hold off Thunderbirds with 4-2 Win
FPHL Blue Ridge Bobcats

Bobcats Surge in 3rd Period, Hold off Thunderbirds with 4-2 Win

Published on January 23, 2026 under Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
Blue Ridge Bobcats News Release


WYTHEVILLE, VA - In the third of four straight meetings between two of the FPHL's most heated rivals, the Blue Ridge Bobcats used a 3-goal third period surge to outlast the Twin City Thunderbirds by a final score of 4-2 before a crowd of 1,622 at Hitachi Energy Arena on Friday night.

Joe Kennedy, recently re-signed by the Thunderbirds, scored his first goal in nearly two seasons early in the first when he backhanded a deflected puck out of a net-mouth scramble behind Anthony Shrum to open the scoring just over five minutes into the opening frame.

Blue Ridge responded with another goal from the red-hot Dustin Jesseau, who sauced a backhand shot past Boris Babik just over three minutes later to tie the contest at 1.

Both teams battened down their respective hatches defensively, playing an extremely tight-checking contest that remained scoreless for the remainder of the first and entirety of the second.

Jesseau struck again, for his whopping 10th goal in 7 games since joining the Bobcats, sending a wrist shot from the far wing off a Thunderbirds defender and into the net with what served as the game winning goal for Blue Ridge just over five minutes into the final frame.

An absolutely gorgeous passing sequence on a two-man advantage for Blue Ridge doubled their lead less than two minutes later. After penalties on Kennedy and Jacob Schnapp for hooking and slashing respectively 40 seconds apart, the Bobcats has 1:20 of 5-on-3 power play time to work with, and took full advantage. Mike Mercurio made a terrific play to hold the offensive zone along the near side half wall, and sent a tape-to-tape pass from his knees to Nikita Kozyrev, who then fed Nick Stuckless all alone on the backdoor for a one-time blast past Babik.

Corey Cunningham gave Twin City life with a goal just past the halfway mark of the third, but Kozyrev, the game's third star, slammed the door shut by potting an empty netter in the final minute of regulation.

Carson Gallagher's trio of assists earned him second star, and Jesseau's second-consecutive mutli-goal game notched him first star honors on the night. Shrum stopped 25 of 27 shots and picked up the win in net, while Babik did everything he could stopping 36 of 40 in a losing effort.

Both teams complete their four-game two-weekend series tomorrow afternoon with a Saturday pre-snowstorm matinee at 2:30 PM in Winston-Salem before Blue Ridge returns home to host the Danbury Hat Tricks next weekend.

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Federal Prospects Hockey League Stories from January 23, 2026


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