Pensacola wins 5-4 in shootout Friday
Published on November 2, 2012 under SPHL (SPHL)
Mississippi Surge News Release
The Mississippi Surge saw a lead slip away late as the Pensacola Ice Flyers scored with 25 seconds left in regulation time, then won 5-4 in a shootout Friday night in Pensacola.
Ryan Raven was the only player to score in the shootout and his goal didn't come until the fourth round for Pensacola. Ice Flyers goalie Steve Christie was able to stop Jeff Grant to preserve the win.
But it was Patrick Knowlton's deflection from a scramble in front that proved to be the heartbreaker for the Surge, which fell to 0-1-1 on the season. He deflected in a shot from a mass of humanity to force the overtime.
The Surge outscored Pensacola 2-1 in each of the first two periods. After William Foster scored at 7:14 to put Pensacola on top, it took only 2:20 for the Surge's Matt Ridley to tie the game with a slapshot from the left point that beat Pensacola Steve Christie. Later in the period Shawn Skelly scored for the Surge on a backhand shot from the bottom of the right wing circle.
Seth Ronsberg bumped the Surge to a 3-1 lead in the first two and a half minutes of the second period. Ryan Salvis got Pensacola back within one with a breakaway powerplay goal midway through the period. Nicholas Kuqali restored the two goal lead for Mississippi with just under five minutes left in the third period.
Pensacola chipped away at the lead when Leo Thomas slipped a screened shot in at 5:52 to cut the lead to 5-3. That set the stage for the frantic final minute when Knowlton scored with Christie on the bench in favor of an extra attacker.
In spite of the loss Kiefer Smiley sparkled in goal for the Surge as he stopped 45 of 49 shots through regulation and overtime. He also stopped Salvis, Jordan Chong, and Knowlton in the shootout before Raven beat him with a wrist shot along the ice inside the right post.
Christie stopped all five Surge shooters--Skelly, Tommy Lange, Derek Graham, Corey Tamblyn, and Grant.
The Surge returns home Saturday night to take on the Mississippi RiverKings at 7:05 p.m. It will be Mississippi Forestry and Wildlife Great Outdoors night, presented in conjunction with Adventure Locators. Smokey Bear will be on hand.
The Surge also has a $10 ticket for kids 12 and under available on a walk-up basis. For more information call the Surge at 594-3800.
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- RiverHawks Fall to FireAntz - Augusta RiverHawks
- Pensacola wins 5-4 in shootout Friday - Mississippi Surge
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