Cottonmouths walk away with win
October 26, 2012 - SPHL (SPHL)
Pensacola Ice Flyers News Release
PENSACOLA, FL. - The Pensacola Ice Flyers opened the 2012-13 season tonight as they travelled to Columbus, GA. to take on the Cottonmouths in a rematch of last season's President's Cup finals. The Ice Flyers battled all game long but the veteran line up of the Cottonmouths took advantage of fortunate bounces and came away with the win, 4-0.
6:07 into the game, the Cottonmouths struck first as Levi Lind buried a rebound past Ice Flyers' goaltender, Steve Christie. After an interference penalty on the Ice Flyers shortly into the second, Brett Hammond of the Cottonmouths banged in a loose puck on the power play after a shot that snuck past Christie at the 6:34 mark. 39 seconds later, Columbus' John Sullivan made it 3-0.
Ice Flyers' head coach Gary Graham called a timeout and collected his team in order to change the momentum. The timeout did swing the momentum as Pensacola controlled more of the play. They came out shooting more, hitting more and had a few fights to end the second frame. Ice Flyer Andrew Harrison fought Chris Bailer, and then two seconds later, new Ice Flyers' enforcer Gabriel Boutin-Gagnon squared off at center ice with Cottonmouth enforcer Daniel Amesbury. Pensacola's Ryan Raven and Columbus' Kyle Johnson then fought after a Raven laid a heavy hit on a Cottonmouth. Despite a more up-tempo style of play by the Ice Flyers, they still could not get a puck past Ian Vigier of the Cottonmouths.
Just 1:20 into the third, Columbus' Sam Bowles fired a bad-angled shot on Christie that found its way past him, putting the Cottonmouths up 4-0. This would end Christie's night, as Graham replaced him with backup goaltender, Ross MacKinnon, who stopped all eight shots he faced.
Vigier recorded the shutout, despite Pensacola outshooting Columbus 32-30.
The Ice Flyers do not have to wait long to rebound as they face their I-10 rival, Mississippi Surge in Biloxi on Saturday at 7:05 p.m. This will be the last game on the road before they face off on home ice in their home opening weekend next Friday, Nov. 2 at 7:05 p.m. against the Surge, and then on Saturday, Nov. 3 at 7:05 p.m. against the Louisiana IceGators.
SPHL Stories from October 26, 2012
- RiverHawks' Comeback Falls Short - Augusta RiverHawks
- IceGators Beat Huntsville in Season Opener - Louisiana IceGators
- Cottonmouths walk away with win - Pensacola Ice Flyers
- Snakes Set Opening Night Roster; Elect Bowles, Hergott Co-Captains - Columbus Cottonmouths
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