FPHL Ice Chips - Game Recaps
FPHL Federal Prospects Hockey League

FPHL Ice Chips - Game Recaps

Published on February 15, 2026 under Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) News Release


Game Recaps for the Federal Prospects Hockey League for Sunday, February 15, 2026.

View photos, box scores and much more at federalhockey.com

TWIN CITY THUNDERBIRDS at PEE DEE ICECATS

TWIN CITY AVOIDS ICECATS SWEEP

By Tom Callahan

Florence, SC - The Pee Dee IceCats rallied late but could not complete the comeback as the Twin City Thunderbirds avoided the weekend sweep with a 3-2 win on Sunday.

At 17:13 of the first period, Nick Gullo deflected a Jordan Popoff shot past Twin City goaltender Chad Purdy, but the goal was called back on a video review.

In the second, the Thunderbirds scored twice to grab the lead. The first was a power play goal off the stick of Gus Ford at 10:12 and then Jan Salak netted a shorthanded marker at 17:45 to make it 2-0 Twin City after 40 minutes.

Pee Dee started to rally in the third period, starting with Matt Gilbert's first professional goal at 8:17, a deflection on Timur Rasulov's shot from the point to make it 2-1.

The IceCats fell behind by two again after Jacob Schnapp's seventh of the season, making it 3-1 with 6:07 left in regulation.

With IceCats goaltender Parker Rutherford out for the extra attacker late in the game, Patriks Marcinkevics scored his team-leading 28th goal of the season from Houston Wilson and Nick Magill-Diaz, making it a 3-2 game with 28 seconds left in regulation.

Pee Dee once again got Rutherford to the bench, but could not find the equalizer and the Thunderbirds escaped with the win.

Notes:

Magill-Diaz now has a three-game point streak, his longest of the season (2-1-3)

Gilbert's goal was his first professional goal

Salak's shorthanded goal was the first shorthanded goal of the season for the Thunderbirds

Chad Purdy made 36 saves for his first pro win

Pee Dee now goes back on the road with a pair of games in Columbus next weekend. The next home games for the IceCats is March 6 and 7 against against the Athens Rock Lobsters.

Thunderbirds Defeat Rival IceCats 3-2

By Kendall Grayson

Florence, SC - The Twin City Thunderbirds defeated the Pee Dee IceCats by a final score of 3-2 Sunday evening at the Florence Center. Gus Ford, Jan Salak, and Jacob Schnapp each netted a goal for the Thunderbirds in the victory. Goaltender Chad Purdy backstopped the team to victory in net, earning his first professional win as a goaltender.

Sunday's opening period ended in a scoreless tie. The IceCats outshot the Thunderbirds 17-5 during the 1st period. Gus Ford netted a powerplay goal just over ten minutes into Sunday's 2nd period to give Twin City a one-goal lead in the matchup. The specialty teams scoring play was the thirtieth of the season for the Thunderbirds. Jan Salak and Jon Buttitta each recorded an assist on the Ford's team-leading twenty third goal of the year. Jan Salak netted the team's first shorthanded goal of the season with less than three minutes to play in Sunday's middle period. Jiri Pestuka notched an assist on the scoring play. Twin City was outshot by a 12-10 margin during the 2nd period, and carried a 2-0 lead into the 3rd period.

Matthew Gilbert scored an even-strength goal at 8:18 of the final period to cut Twin City's lead to one goal. Gilbert's goal was assisted by Trevor Lord and Timur Rasulov. Jacob Schnapp netted a goal at 13:53 of the 3rd period to give the Thunderbirds a 3-1 lead in the matchup. Schnapp's goal was assisted by Roman Kraemer and Gus Ford, and was the game-winning goal of Sunday's game. The final goal of the contest was scored with an extra attacker by Patriks Marcinkevics. The goal was scored with less than thirty seconds to play, and was assisted by Houston Wilson and Nick Magill-Diaz. Twin City was outshot by a 9-7 margin in the 3rd period, and 38-22 overall during the contest.

Chad Purdy recorded the win in net for Twin City in a 36-save-on-38-shot performance. Parker Rutherford dropped the game in net for Pee Dee after making 19 saves on 22 shots.

Twin City improved to 16-19-1 on the 2025-2026 season in the win.

The Thunderbirds' next home games will be played back-to-back against the Watertown Wolves on Friday, February 27th and Saturday, February 28th. Puck drop for Friday's game is set for 7:05pm ET, and Saturday's matchup will begin at 6:05pm ET.

TOPEKA SCARECROWS at MONROE MOCCASINS

CLARK'S OT HAT TRICK LIFTS SCARECROWS PAST MOCCASINS 5-4

By Joseph Furtado

Monroe, LA - The Topeka Scarecrows scored just 13 seconds into overtime Sunday afternoon to defeat the Monroe Moccasins 5-4 at the Civic Center, extending Monroe's losing streak to four games.

Despite earning a point in the loss, the Moccasins fell to 25-6-4-2-0 (83 points) and remain one point behind the first-place Athens Rock Lobsters in the continental division. Topeka improved to 17-13-1-6-0 (64 points) with the victory, earning their sixth overtime win of the season and extending their winning streak to four games.

The loss marked Monroe's first defeat of the season against the Scarecrows, finishing the season series 3-0-1; the Empire Division opponent the Moccasins will face this season.

Topeka opened the scoring early when Cameron Clark found the net at 2:07 of the first period. Jacob Gagnon doubled the lead late in the frame to give the Scarecrows a 2-0 after the first period.

Clark extended the lead to 3-0 just 44 seconds into the second period with a highlight-reel "Michigan" goal on the power play. Monroe responded midway through the period as Andrew Bellant converted on the power play at 5:14, beating Sammy Bernardlow on the glove side to put the Moccasins on the board. Dean Balsamo added another at 14:20, cutting the deficit to 3-2 heading into the third.

Monroe tied the game early in the third period when Jared Christy scored a power-play goal 2:15 into the period, extending his point streak to 21 games. However, Gagnon restored Topeka's lead midway through the period to make it 4-3 at 7:30. Christy struck again on the power play with his fourth goal of the weekend at 13:18 to even the game at 4-4.

Overtime ended quickly as Clark completed his hat trick just 13 seconds into the overtime, sealing the 5-4 win for Topeka.Monroe outshot Topeka 44-27 in the contest and has now played 10 one-goal games this season, posting a 3-1-4-2-0 record in those matchups. The overtime defeat was Monroe's third of the season.

The Moccasins will look to regroup next weekend as they welcome the Twin City Thunderbirds to town.

Clark Tosses Hats In OT, Scarecrows Beat Moccasins 5-4

By Jon Kliment

Monroe, LA -Topeka rolled into Monroe for a makeup game of January's cancelled game with the Moccasins. The Scarecrows came in riding a modest three game winning streak just two points out of second place in the Empire division while Monroe had lost three in a row with the last two coming against the now leader in the Continental division the Athens Rock Lobsters. Both teams came in looking for points and to better their spot in the standings.

Topeka got things going early in this one again as Cameron Clark picked up where he left off on Friday night taking a Trevor Grasby pass across the zone and took advantage of his former Black Bears teammate Nolan Egbert over his shoulder for the 1-0 lead just 2:07 into the game. After killing two penalties in the first the Scarecrows found the net again as Jacob Gagnon took a feed from Boston Bird at an odd angle and put it off Egbert's helmet and behind him for 2-0 advantage after one period.

Early in the second on a power play Clark struck again this time with a Michigan from behind the net that gave Topeka the 3-0 edge and drove Egbert from the game. Monroe got a power play on a Cory Checco slash and took advantage as Yianni Liarakos fed Andrew Bellant in the top of the slot and Bellant fired a puck cross crease to beat Sammy Bernard to make it 3-1 at 5:14 of the second. Monroe tallied again late in the second as Austin Albrecht fed Carlos Fornaris who found Dean Balsamo cross crease again and found space behind Bernard to make it 3-2 at 14:20 of the second.

Monroe came out in the third period with gusto, Jared Christy buried a power play goal at 2:15 to tie the game back up at 3-3. On a power play of their own Jacob Gagnon sent a ripper from the point for his second of the night that saw its way past Tyler Masternak to restore the one goal lead, 4-3. At 13:18 on yet another power play Christy broke in and managed to beat an outstretched Bernard for the tying goal.

The game went to overtime and after a push forward from Monroe, Topeka scooped up the loose puck and Connor Lind fed Clark for his second hat trick of the weekend and the overtime winner, 4-3.

Bernad stopped 40 of 44 in the win, his 14th of the season.

Topeka returns home Thursday night at 7:05pm to take on the Port Huron Prowlers.

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Federal Prospects Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2026


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