Power Play Success, Robertson's Two Lead to Win; Flyers Clinch 4th Place
March 23, 2012 - SPHL (SPHL)
Pensacola Ice Flyers News Release
Both the Ice Flyers and the Louisiana IceGators came into tonight's game jockeying for playoff positioning. Louisiana was trying to maintain a hold on 6th place while the Ice Flyers were looking to lock down 4th and home ice in the first round of the SPHL President's Cup Playoffs. The home team managed to accomplish their goal and foil their foes plans with a 5-3 win for the Ice Flyers.
Louisiana would score first nearly 12 minutes into the first period when the IceGators' dynamic veteran duo of Shawn McNeil and Jason Hill hooked up. McNeil put the puck past Corey Milan and the first would end 1-0 on that tally.
The Ice Flyers would waste no time in the second when given a power play opportunity. On their first power play of the game, Chris Wilson would be the last Ice Flyer to touch a puck that was accidentally tapped into the IceGators net by Louisiana defenseman Tyler Lyon. Jeff Sapieha and Ryan Corry would be credited with the assists on the power play marker. Off the faceoff following the Wilson goal, Jason Hill and Ryan Hohl decided to settle their differences with their fists. It started off fairly even but Hohl picked up the decision towards the end. You never want to take a penalty but when you can get a break away right out of the box, you don't complain. That's exactly what happened as Tyler Soehner scooped a puck and found Donnie Harris after Harris left the penalty box. Harris skated in, put the puck behind the left leg of Louisiana's Jeff Rose, and broke the tie.
Entering the third period, the Ice Flyers looked to finish the game on top but not be lax with the lead. Everything went according to plan until Louisiana tied the game at 2 with a goal by Josh Boyd. Matt Robertson would put the Ice Flyers back in the led with less than 4 minutes left when he took a Tyler Soehner pass from behind to net and fired the puck into the net making Pensacola a perfect 2-for-2 on the power play tonight. Dan Buccella would earn the second assist on the goal. Andrew Harrison would score an unassisted goal with 2:26 left in the game. Louisiana would pull Rose in favor of the extra attacker and was able to convert when Shawn McNeil netted his second of the night. After the next faceoff, Rose would again be pulled but this time it was the Ice Flyers who did the scoring with Ryan Hohl grabbing a loose puck, passing it to Matt Robertson, and Matt the Rat firing it into the empty goal with 2.4 seconds left. The game may have been over, but it wasn't for Jason Hill and Ryan Hohl as they again decided to drop the gloves. This time it wasn't even close with an easy win for Hohl.
Corey Milan stopped 29 of Louisiana's 32 shots. Andrew Harrison was named the 3rd star, Tyler Soehner 2nd, and with 2 goals Matt Robertson was the number 1 star.
The Ice Flyers will finish their regular season schedule tomorrow night against the Mississippi RiverKings and it will be St. Baldrick's Night in the Hangar.
SPHL Stories from March 23, 2012
- RiverHawks Fall to Ice Bears 5-1 - Augusta RiverHawks
- Power Play Success, Robertson's Two Lead to Win; Flyers Clinch 4th Place - Pensacola Ice Flyers
- IceFlyers Shoot Down IceGators 5-3 - Louisiana IceGators
- Surge First Round Playoff Schedule Set - Mississippi Surge
- Surge First Round Playoff Schedule Set - Mississippi Surge
- Ducks Unlimited Mississippi Volunteers Aim for Fun with Hockey Fundraiser - Mississippi RiverKings
- Ice Flyers, IceGators Battle for the 11th time - Pensacola Ice Flyers
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