SPHL Macon Mayhem

Preview: Mayhem at Birmingham Bulls (Game 13)

Published on November 23, 2018 under SPHL (SPHL)
Macon Mayhem News Release


Opportunity for Recourse

For the first time this season, it is fair to say that the Mayhem are in a small funk. They've dropped two straight games for the first time since the 2018 playoffs, and have only scored once in each of those defeats. Suddenly, what was once the league's highest-scoring offense had dried up and went from averaging 3.6 goals-per-game in their first ten games down to 3.17 just two games later.

While a road matchup with the undefeated Birmingham Bulls does not seem like an optimal challenge for the struggling Mayhem, it does present a timely opportunity for a drastic turnaround to an early-season dry spell.

The Matchup

The Birmingham Bulls are now almost indisputably the best team in the SPHL at the moment. They are a perfect 10-0-0 to start their year, which is the first time in SPHL history that any team has managed to remain undefeated through their first ten games of a season. They've had back-to-back SPHL Players of the Week and they now boast the league's second highest-scoring offense behind the Peoria Rivermen, averaging a whopping 4.3 goals-per-game.

One side note worth mentioning, however, is that Birmingham has not yet faced a team as strong as the Mayhem yet. The bulk of the Bulls' schedule has been against the bottom teams in the SPHL, and the Mayhem have been extremely stout defensively, allowing the fewest goals-per-game in the league at just 2.0. This home-and-home series has been labeled the Clash of the SPHL Titans, as the stingy Mayhem and the high-flying Bulls will both have the opportunity to come out of the weekend in first place.

Ruby in the Rough

Jordan Ruby has been the Mayhem's most consistent player all season. He ranks second in the entire league in save percentage and goals against average, trailing only his former teammate Gordon Defiel in both categories. After Defiel left for South Carolina in the ECHL, Ruby picked up the slack and took on an enormous responsibility as the Mayhem's only dependable net-minder. He's made seven consecutive starts now, and has won five of them. His record on the campaign is a solid 6-1-2, and he's not once allowed more than three goals in a single game. With a save percentage of .944 and a goals against average of 1.86, Ruby is a constant challenge for his opponents, even when the Mayhem have an off-night. In Pensacola on Wednesday, he made 40 of a possible 41 saves and stopped 4-of-5 in the shootout. He is the expected starter in Birmingham tonight, even with the addition of highly-touted goaltender Ian Sylves. Though Sylves has greatly impressed with his track record and during practice, he may have a difficult time seeing ice time until Ruby comes back down to Earth.

Cancer Awareness Night

On Saturday, November 24th at the tail end of this home-and-home series, the Mayhem will host Birmingham on Cancer Awareness Night. Players will be sporting specialty, one-of-a-kind jerseys in support of raising awareness about the prevalence of prostate cancer in the United States and around the world. To help do their part, the Mayhem will raise funds for vital research to help men all over the world. The specialty jerseys worn by the players throughout the night will be sold at a live auction in the Macon Centreplex lobby immediately after the game, with proceeds benefitting the American Cancer Society.

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