Preview: Mayhem at Birmingham Bulls (Pre-Season)
October 12, 2019 - SPHL (SPHL)
Macon Mayhem News Release
A Welcome Challenge
Tonight's pre-season matchup against the Birmingham Bulls is an opportunity the Mayhem are yearning to use to their advantage. It has been six months since the Mayhem have played in a game, and far longer since they've played a pre-season game. Last year's exhibition tilt against the Fayetteville Marksmen was cancelled due to inclement weather, and the Mayhem were forced to begin their home opener without having had a practice game first. Tonight, the Mayhem will hit the ice in what will be an ultimately inconsequential, yet extremely important, matchup.
Winning tonight's outing is all but negligible; no points in the standings will be awarded to the victor. More importantly than anything, this game will provide second-year head coach Leo Thomas to gauge his new team and observe how his players mesh on the ice in a live game setting. For the past three days, Thomas has gathered a pulse on his squad through training camp. However, tonight will likely be what ultimately compels him to make some of the difficult decisions he needs to make before the home opener next Friday.
The Matchup
Birmingham hosted the Pensacola Ice Flyers last night and fell by a final score of 4-2. It was the first time they had played a game since being defeated in the President's Cup Finals by the Huntsville Havoc last season. Jamey Hicks is coming off a remarkable sophomore campaign as the Bulls' Head Coach, and will look to build further off of his accomplishments and continue his successes this season.
Like the Mayhem, the Bulls lost several crucial players over the off-season and will be using tonight's tilt as a means to bond some of the new additions in a game atmosphere. Most notably among the omissions, reigning SPHL Goaltender of the Year Mavric Parks has retired. Thus, the starting goaltender position is currently in heavy contention in Birmingham by four different net-minders. In yesterday's matchup with Pensacola, Carsen Chubak and Ryland Pashovitz split time in the crease. Tonight will likely be a timeshare between Ian Miilosz and Art Brey. On Macon's side, Alex Fotinos and Joe Young are expected to handle the goaltending duties.
Four Lines Rolling
Tonight, the Mayhem will roll with four full forward lines and three defensive pairs so as to dress as many players as possible and make the most out of the pre-season. The lineup is divided almost evenly between returning players and by those who have never played in a Mayhem uniform.
To best follow the action this evening, tune in to the broadcast on SPHL Live or the audio stream YouTube. You can also follow the Mayhem social media pages; Twitter is recommended for the most frequent updates.
Opening Weekend
Next weekend, the Mayhem will open the 2019-20 regular season by hosting the Fayetteville Marksmen on Friday, October 18th, and the Huntsville Havoc on Saturday, October 19th. Fan appreciative gestures like $4 beer will be on hand Friday night, while a Zombieland-themed evening awaits on Saturday night.
SPHL Stories from October 12, 2019
- Mayhem Fall in Pre-Season Exhibition in Birmingham - Macon Mayhem
- Bulls Defeat Macon 6-1 in Preseason Game - Birmingham Bulls
- Preview: Mayhem at Birmingham Bulls (Pre-Season) - Macon Mayhem
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