Dashers Win Home Opener, 5-3
Published on November 2, 2019 under Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL)
Danville Dashers News Release
The Danville Dashers were victorious over the Danbury Hat Tricks in the two organization's first meeting since the FPHL expanded in the offseason. The Dashers won the game, a tightly-fought back and forth game, thanks to a go-ahead goal late with six minutes left in the third period from Johan Hoglund, notching his first goal with the team on a pin-point shot to the top left corner of Hat Tricks' goaltender Tom McGuckin.
Though Danville came away with the win in the end, the Hat Tricks held control of the led for the majority of the first period, while both defenses struggled to find their footing in the early-goings. First on the board was Danbury scoring on a Cory Anderson rebound coming off of the pads of Danville goaltender Jesse Gordichuk.
After that it was Danville striking back behind last year's point leader Fred Hein, who wound up with three points on the night to grow his season total to 8 in just three games. Kruz Listmayer was next on the board after Danbury started to string together some solid passing. Kristers Bormanis and Nicola Levesque were the assistants on the goal.
It won't show up on the scoreboard, but that trio of Listmayer, Bormanis and Levesque were especially effective when on the ice together, several times creating scoring opportunities. That being said it was AJ Tesorierio creating the next scoring opportunity as the Dasher went on a power play. Tesoriero found fellow returning Dasher Brad Denney on the run, who fed through to Artem Efimov-Barakov who slotted home to bring the score to 2-2.
It wasn't long before Danbury scored on a power play of their own as Jonny Ruiz fired home what would be the final goal of the first period, on assists from Nicola Leveque and Phil Bronner. The Danbury Hat Tricks were in control for the majority of the first half, and went into the first intermission with a 3-2 lead over the Dashers to show for it.
After that though it was all Dashers, as Justin Brausen fired home on a pass through the Hat Tricks' defensive zone to beat McGuckin on his stick side. The Danville captain fired home, with assists going to Alex Pommerville and Fred Hein. All three in the starting lineup for the Dashers tonight, they were a threat on each shift.
The Dashers had tied the game and wouldn't let up after that, scoring on yet another power play goal from a laser-fired Johan Hoglund slapshot from the point off of a Jesse Neher pass. The score was 4-3, and that served to be the game-winning goal.
The Hat Tricks pulled their goalie with just under a minute left in the game, with multiple Dashers shots going back for icing after narrowly missing the net, but Patrik Zilak controlled a pass, saving the icing, on a Jesse Neher shot, that would be the icing on the cake as it put Danville ahead 5-3 with just one second left in the game.
The Dashers took home two of the three places on the mantel of stars, with Fred Hein getting the one star (1G, 2A), and Johan Hoglund (Game-winning goal) getting the three star. Hat Tricks' player-coach Nicola Levesque (2A) took the second star on the evening.
When all was said and done it was a solid first showing on home ice from Dashers goaltender Jesse Gordichuk, who stopped 41 shots on 44 attempts.
The Dashers move to 3-0-0 on the season, and are in first place in the Western Division of the FPHL based on goal differential, and the Hat Tricks move to 0-1 with two overtime losses, and sit tied for fourth in the Eastern Division.
The Dashers and the Hat Tricks will face off again tomorrow night at the David S. Palmer Arena in FPHL action on Throwback Wings Night in Danville.
Federal Prospects Hockey League Stories from November 2, 2019
- Rumble Bees Show Better, Stronger Effort In 5-0 Home Setback Against Mentor - Battle Creek Rumble Bees
- River Dragons Win First Home Game in Shootout Fashion - Columbus River Dragons
- Wolves Battle to Victory - Watertown Wolves
- Dashers Win Home Opener, 5-3 - Danville Dashers
- Carolina Defeat Thunder, 7-2 - Delaware Thunder
- Enforcers Claim First Win of 2019-2020 - Elmira Enforcers
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