Ice Chips

November 8, 2014 - Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) News Release

Dashers Weather Storm; Beat Battalion, 5-3

After suffering their first loss at home on Friday night, the Berkshire Battalion hosted the Danville Dashers for the 2nd time this season. The game began one-sided, but a late surge by the troops of the home team challenged the Dashers, but two late empty-net goals would seal the game for the road team.

In the first period the Battalion came out flat and were quickly jumped on by the Dashers as 6 minutes in Andrew Harrison would slap home a backhand past Battalion net-minder Dan Palmkvist. Not long after he would repeat as he shuffled home his 2nd of the night, shortly followed by James Gordon beating the defense as well to give the Dashers a 3-0 lead going into the 2nd.

Responding, the Battalion would score 3 minutes into the 2nd as Tristan Lysko would fire home his 3rd goal in 2 games, and his 2nd powerplay goal of the season, which leads the team. The remainder of the 2nd was played with a frantic back and forth pace as many more scoring chances came up, but solid goaltending stymied any further scoring.

The 3rd was the wild culmination of the game as the back and forth play continued which the Battalion dominating the offensive chances. Late in the frame newcomer Alex Molnar would fire home a wrist shot from the goal line into the empty cage to pull the Battalion to within 1. Off the ensuing offensive pressure and with Dan Palmkvist pulled, not one but two Dashers scored on the empty net to seal the contest at 5-3.

Winning goalie James Robbins stopped 27 of the 29 he faced, while Plamkvist stopped 31 of 34 while in net tonight.

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Whalers Win Fifth Straight, Defeat Watertown 3-1

Saturday night hockey drew a large crowd to the Danbury Ice Arena as the Watertown Wolves visited the Nutmeg State for the second time this season. Their first meeting of the season was Danbury's home opener, and the Wolves played spoiler skating away with 3-2 victory. The following night However, the script would be flipped in a fast and evenly matched game as the Whalers extended their winning streak to five with a 3-1 victory.

The first period of play was a back and forth affair with neither team able to find the back of the net. The biggest hit of the period came courtesy of Whalers' defenseman Jordan Ciccarello, as he sent the FHL's leading scorer Justin MacDonald to his back as MacDonald was trying to stickhandle through Danbury's defense. MacDonald has been a force in the young season, with 8 goals and 11 assists in Watertown's first 7 games. A "good road period" according to Watertown Head Coach Brent Clarke, there were no penalties for either team, and the Whalers outshot the Wolves 12-11.

The second period resembled the first in all facets for the first fifteen minutes, as the teams' offenses pressed the play for the first goal of the game. That goal would come at the 16:45 mark as Whalers' defenseman Scott Morongell found Brett Liscomb behind the Watertown defense and Liscomb converted on the breakaway. Danbury struck again just over a minute later off an offensive faceoff won by Matt Caranci. David Lun found Scott Morongell uncovered at the point and Morongell snapped a shot over the glove of Wolves' goalie Josselin St. Pierre to extend the lead to two. Danbury maintained their advantage in shots, this time outshooting Watertown 19-11 in the period and 31-22 for the game to that point.

The third period started with a bang as Luke Warner and Basam Awwad dropped the gloves off the opening faceoff. Watertown would finally get on the board with Justin MacDonald's league leading 9th goal of the season at the 4:29 mark of the third. Goaltender and eventual first star of the game Mike Brown made the first two saves but was left sprawled on the ice as MacDonald cut Danbury's lead in half. Matt Caranci would respond for the Whalers just over five minutes later as Brett Liscomb found him alone in front and Caranci's shot found daylight between the legs of St. Pierre to restore the two goal lead. The play of the game would come with the result still in question as Justin MacDonald was again left alone in the slot and an empty net to shoot at, but Mike Brown made two spectacular saves from a down and out position. The first save was made with the inside of his blocker, and the second went in and out of his catching glove before the puck was finally cleared from danger. The sequence would prove to be deciding as Watertown could not threaten again, and the Whalers handed the Wolves their first loss of the season 3-1. Both teams finished 0-2 on the power play, and the Wolves would ultimately outshoot the Whalers 42-37. The Whalers will now go on the road next week with visits to Steel City for the first time on Saturday, November 15th. From there, they will bus to Dayton, Ohio for a date with the defending Federal Hockey League Champions Dayton Demonz.

Federal Prospects Hockey League Stories from November 8, 2014

• Ice Chips - FPHL
• Federal Hockey League Game Recaps - FPHL
• Whalers Home Tonight - Danbury Whalers

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