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FPHL Ice Chips - Game Recaps

March 2, 2024 - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) News Release


WATERTOWN WOLVES at ELMIRA RIVER SHARKS

Sharks Drop Three Points to Watertown, 5-3

by Jon Kliment

Elmira, NY -The River Sharks came into Saturday night looking to extend their lead against Watertown in the playoff chase. After a big night against the Black Bears on Friday night the River Sharks had tired legs while the Wolves came in off a rest day on Friday night.

Elmira came in firing away with a couple of early opportunities but it was Watertown's Tate Leeson who found the back of the net first on a breakaway past Sammy Bernard to give the Wolves the 1-0 edge after one period.

The Wolves continued firing away early in the second as Joshua Tomasi scored on a bad angle shot, but the River Sharks had an answer as Dustin Jesseau took a pass from Kyle Powell and after his first shot was able to put it over the outstretched glove of Eloi Bouchard to bring Elmira back to within a goal, 2-1. Just 17 seconds later Trevor Lord broke in and fired one past Bernard to reestablish Watertown's two goal lead 3-1. The rest of the period was a back and forth process before Elmira's Marquis Grant-Mentis found a lane through the slot to a wide open Bret Parker who hammered the puck home to shrink the Watertown lead to just a goal 3-2.

Gamzatov started the scoring in the third giving Watertown back their two goal lead 4-2. On a power play 5:02 later Jesseau scored his second goal of the night to bring Elmira back to within one, 4-3. The River Sharks pulled their netminder in an attempt to tie the game, but unfortunately Carter Thornton beat out an icing call and tucked the puck into the empty net for the 5-3 win.

Bernard stopped 27 of 31 in the loss.

The River Sharks return to action on Friday at 7:05pm against the Binghamton Black Bears. Get your tickets online at Ticketmaster or by calling the box office at 607-734-PUCK! #FeartheFin

WYTHEVILLE BOBCATS at MOTOR CITY ROCKERS

Special Teams Power Rockers Past Bobcats 6-2

by Ben Szilagy

Fraser, MI -The Motor City Rockers completed the weekend sweep of the Blue Ridge Bobcats behind two short handed goals as Motor City toppled Blue Ridge 6-2 on Saturday night.

Motor City jumped out to a two goal lead in the first period with the help of the power play.

2:53 into the first period the Rockers were up a man with a face-off in the far circle. TJ Sneath won the draw and slid the puck back to Josh Colten who fired a shot on net that was deflected by Jonathan Juliano for his 15th of the season and a 1-0 lead.

Ten minutes later Motor City added to the lead on a pure hustle play by Pavel Svintsov.

Declan Conway crashed into the net as he made his way toward the cage. Svintsov saw the puck was loose and gathered it and moved into the near circle. Instead of shooting, he centered it to Scott Coash for a goal and a 2-0 lead in the first.

Blue Ridge wouldn't come away short handed, as they got a goal while killing a power play to end the opening stanza.

Motor City had a giveaway at center ice, and Michigan native Joel Frazee chipped the puck ahead to Jakub Volf that created a breakaway. Volf walked the puck in and cut the lead down, 2-1, with a shot to the stick side for his 16th of the season.

The Rocker lead was extended early in the second period thanks to a heads up play by TJ Delaney. The 6-foot-6 forward intercepted the puck at center ice, and walked it to the far side of the rink as he got to the far circle he ripped a wrist shot past Connor Green for a 3-1 lead 2:16 into the middle frame.

Volf added his second of the game late in the second period when he deflected a shot from Andrei Ivanov to cut back into the lead, 3-2, before the Rockers got a short handed goal of its own.

With 1:45 left in the second period, newest Rocker Lane King who is playing in his second game with Motor City created a 2-on-1 while killing a power play. King held the puck as long as he could as he entered the zone and feathered a centering pass to the far post to Sneath who tapped in the goal for his 12th of the season and a 4-2 lead.

Motor City's penalty kill has really round into form down the stretch as the Rockers killed all eight power plays it faced this weekend, including six on Saturday night.

The Rockers added two more goals in the third period thanks to a wrap around goal by Svintosov for his first goal since February 2nd for a 5-2 lead with 7:25 to play in the final frame and an empty net, short handed goal scored by Coash from about 165-feet away in the closing minute of play.

Motor City will host Watertown next weekend on Friday and Saturday before closing out its season series against Blue Ridge on Sunday at Big Boy Arena.

PORT HURON PROWLERS at DANBURY HAT TRICKS

HAT TRICKS EKE OUT ONE-GOAL WIN OVER PROWLERS, 4-3 FINAL

by Doug Lattuca

Danbury, CT -The Hat Tricks held on in the third period to nudge out Port Huron 4-3 Saturday night to secure their sixth win in the last seven games and fourth straight against the Prowlers this season. Defenseman Josh Labelle's game-winning goal at 13:37 of the final frame proved to be the difference.

7:16 into the first period, Labelle received an entry pass from Woolley up the left wing and sniped the puck to the top corner to improve his point streak to eight. Danbury outshot Port Huron 11-4 in the first period.

In the second period, captain Jonny Ruiz fired a frozen rope to the top shelf beating Prowler's netminder Makar Sokolov 58 seconds into the period, marking his team-high 30th goal of the season. Ruiz now has eight goals in the last five games.

The Prowlers responded just minutes later when forward and former Danbury Titan Dalton Jay tipped one past Hat Tricks Connor McCollum at 5:25 to cut the Danbury lead to one. With the goal, Jay became just the third player in FPHL history to reach the 500-point mark. With less than a minute remaining, Port Huron's Liam Freeborn evened the score at two when he slipped the puck through the five-hole of McCollum.

The Hat Tricks regained the lead midway through the third when Jacob Ratcliffe, the hero from Friday night, shoveled the puck inside the left post at 8:50. The goal marked Ratcliffe's eleventh goal of the season, second since returning from injury, and fourth versus the Prowlers this season. At 13:37, Labelle navigated the blueline and snapped home his second goal of the night to regain Danbury's two-goal advantage and secure his second career multi-goal performance.

Shortly after at 14:45, Port Huron got back within one after forward Evan Foley pitched the puck over the outstretched blocker of McCollum. Despite a late empty-net push, the Hat Tricks neutralized the Prowlers and finished off a one-goal win.

The Hat Tricks go for the weekend and season sweep of the Prowlers on Sunday, March 3 at 3 p.m.

JAY'S 500TH POINT NOT ENOUGH IN DANBURY

by Will Wiegelman

Danbury, CT -The Port Huron Prowlers' struggles at Danbury Ice Arena continue with a 4-3 loss to the Danbury Hat Tricks on March 2. It's the 11th-straight loss in Danbury for the Prowlers.

"We had a very bad start to tonight's game," said Prowlers assistant coach Chris Paulin. "There's definitely some good things, I thought the Graham-Freeborn-Fetterly line was dominant again. I think we need more from a lot of guys."

The Hat Tricks scored first in the opening period as Josh Labelle converted a two-on-one pass from Connor Woolley. Jonny Ruiz doubled the advantage on a rush in the second with a shot top shelf.

Later in the period, Port Huron got a power play and Alex Johnson sent a shot that Dalton Jay deflected home to cut the lead in half. The goal was Jay's 500th point in the FPHL and he became the third player in league history to reach that mark.

"Dalton Jay has had an amazing career," Paulin said. "I joked that he owes me a thank you card for all the points he had against me throughout his career. We're very happy for him, super proud of him."

In the final minute of the period, Labelle had trouble with the puck at the Prowlers blue line and Liam Freeborn took it the other direction and scored five-hole on Connor McCollum to knot the game at two.

Danbury restored the two-goal lead in the third thanks to Jacob Ratcliffe following up a chance and Labelle firing a shot that deflected off a Prowler and in.

Just over a minute after Labelle made it 4-2, Tucker Scantlebury drove the Danbury net and got a shot off that left a rebound that Evan Foley cleaned up to pull his team within one. Unlike the night before, Port Huron couldn't find a late tying tally and the Hat Tricks escaped with the win.

"It's playoff hockey," Paulin said. "It's always a one-goal game, tight-fought games and that's how it's going to be throughout. The days of cruising around and you win some, you lose some are done. This is going to be very difficult hockey down the stretch. I think we're up for it but we can't start games like this. I think we have too many passengers to be honest."

Freeborn finished with a goal and an assist for the Prowlers while Makar Sokolov made 28 saves.

Labelle and Ratcliffe led the way for Danbury with three points each while McCollum stopped 34 shots.

The series wraps up on Sunday, March 3 with a 3 P.M. puck drop scheduled in Danbury. The game will be live on the PHP Network YouTube channel.

CAROLINA THUNDERBIRDS at BATON ROUGE ZYDECO

Homecoming Mashup for Baton Rouge

by Morgan King

Baton Rouge, LA -Saturday night the Carolina Thunderbirds played Baton Rouge Zydeco for the final game of the weekend ending with a 3-1 Zydeco win.

The 1st period started with many shots taken by both teams. With a backhand shot to the net, the Thunderbirds scored with a 1-nothing lead by Carolinas Dawson Baker. Leaving Zydeco trailing at the start of the game.

During the 2nd period, there was an early Zydeco power play, but they were not able to use this to their advantage. With a backdoor shot from Zydeco's Nick Ketola, making this his first career goal, ties the game. After a major penalty, Zydeco had a five-on-three penalty advantage.

Early in the 3rd period Zydeco used the power play to gain a lead against the Thunderbirds. The Zydeco's Scott Shorrock scored making the Thunderbirds trail for the first time in the game. The intensity rose when Bradley Richardson from Zydeco scored to make an upset for the Thunderbirds. Shortly after, gloves and sticks were flying as a fight broke out.

Carolinas Kalib Gus Ford was sent off for abusing the officials. Officials had many calls to distribute after a heated fight creating a power play for the Carolina Thunderbird. A face-off to end led Austin Webber to get an empty net goal to win the game.

Baton Rouge Zydeco's next game is away against the Mississippi Seawolves on March 8th. This makes Zydeco's ninth win of the season.

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