Ice Flyers Knock Off 1st Place Ice Bears
Published on January 9, 2012 under SPHL (SPHL)
Pensacola Ice Flyers News Release
Both the Knoxville Ice Bears and the Pensacola Ice Flyers came into tonight's game on incredible hot streaks. Knoxville had won 13 of their last 14 while the Ice Flyers were on a season-high 5-game win streak and had won 9 of the last 10. It's no surprise the game turned into a heated back-and-forth battle.
The first period saw some really intense hockey with tons of speed, crisp passes, and solid scoring chances. The Ice Flyers managed to get the period's only goal when Andrew Howes pushed the puck past Knoxville's goalie Jesse Kallechy on the power play on a feed from Tyler Soehner and Jordan Chong.
In the second period the Ice Bears tied the game just 1:24 into the period on an unassisted goal on a breakaway by the SPHL's leading scorer Kevin Swider. Almost five minutes later the Ice Flyers regained the lead when Donnie Harris took a pass from Tyler Soehner and one timed it into the net with the Ice Flyers on a 2-man advantage. Ryan Salvis got the other assist. A minute and a half later, with Knoxville recently back at full strength, Swider scored another equalizer. Jordan Chong was playing with a ton of heart and threw multiple big hits on a shift before eventually getting into a fight with Knoxville's Brett Valliquette at the 11:37 mark. Less than a minute later, Chris Wilson gave the Ice Flyers their third lead of the game when he picked up a rebound off of Tyler Soehner's shot on goal and slid it in under Kallechy's left leg. Andrew Howes picked up the other assist. Late in the period Knoxville's David Segal and Pensacola's Dan Buccella got matching delay of game penalties when Bucky took exception for a hit on Ryan Salvis and both he and Segal dropped the gloves and began chirping back and forth.
Wilson picked up where he left off in the second when he scored to put Pensacola up 4-2 at the 9:44 of the third period with Jordan Chong and Andrew Howes getting the assists. Knoxville's Mark Van Vilet would cut the lead to 4-3 when he took a pass from Steve Wiedler and put the puck in the back of the net. The Ice Flyers almost iced the game on a shorthanded breakaway by Mike Carter but the goal was waved off by the referee and he allowed play to continue. With 2.5 seconds left in the third period, the Ice Bears' big man Mike Towns scored the game tying goal to force overtime when he tipped in a rebound of a shot from Kevin Swider.
In overtime, the Ice Flyers kept the pressure up and continued to play great defense. 1:37 into the OT period Knoxville's Dan Bremner took a hooking call and that eventually led to the death blow as 46 seconds into the power play Jordan Chong lifted the pick top shelf to get it over Kallechy. Tyler Soehner and Donnie Harris got the assists. With the OT goal Chong got a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in very dramatic fashion.
Steve Christie was sensational in net again and stopped 40 of the 44 shots that Knoxville threw on goal. He earned his 11th win of the season. For his 4 assist night Tyler Soehner was named the game's 3rd star, with a goal and 2 assists Andrew Howes was awarded the 2nd star, and with two goals Chris Wilson was the 1st star. Jordan Chong was recognized for throwing the biggest hit of the night.
The Ice Flyers are off until Friday when they will head to Huntsville to take on the Huntsville Havoc. The puck drops at 7:30 CT on Friday the 13th.
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- Ice Flyers Knock Off 1st Place Ice Bears - Pensacola Ice Flyers
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