SPHL Mississippi RiverKings

RiverKings Thumped by ThunderBolts, 9-3

Published on December 12, 2017 under SPHL (SPHL)
Mississippi RiverKings News Release


The RiverKings allowed a team-high nine goals as Justin MacDonald secured the hat-trick as the RiverKings lose to Evansville, 9-3. The RiverKings broke open the scoring on the road thanks to CJ Hayes who netted his first professional goal. Playing an active forecheck, Hayes was able to take the puck away from the as CJ Hayes netted his very first professional goal going backhand above the blocker of Thunderbolt goaltender Jonah Imoo.

It would be the RiverKings only lead of the game because Evansville would bury the next three goals, all of them in a less than a two-minute span. John Scorcia, Tyler Vankleef, and Dylan Clarke got on the scoreboard for Evansville. The Thunderbolts would score their fourth unanswered when Justin MacDonald beat goaltender Tyler Green to give Evansville the 4-1 lead and chase Tyler Green from the game.

With under a minute to go, only 18 seconds on the clock, Matt Harrington netted his first goal of the season cutting the Thunderbolts lead in half 4-2. Just when it looked like the RiverKings had stopped the bleeding, Dave Williams and the Thunderbolts scored their first goal of the night against Jared Rutledge with only four ticks of the clock in the first period.

In the second period, the Thunderbolts improved their 5-2 lead by adding two more goals by Justin MacDonald completing the hat trick and improving the Thunderbolts lead to 7-2 on the night, tying the most goals against the RiverKings this season. After Nick D'Avolio netted Evansville's eighth goal of the night, Jared Rutledge returned to the bench, and Tyler Green resumed play as the RiverKings goalie.

Thunderbolts rookie Tyler Deresky worked his way into the zone and moved around a defender and a diving Green to bury he ninth goal of the evening for Evansville and their lead grew to 9-2. As any good Captain would do, Devin Mantha made sure to keep fighting and set a good example for the youngsters when he scored the RiverKings third goal of the evening assisted by Ralfs Grinbergs and Kristaps Bazevics.

The third period would come and go with no goals scored, and the RiverKings fell to the Thunderbolts, 9-3. Mississippi moves to 10-5-0 on the season while Evansville improves to 9-5-2. The RiverKings return home to Planters Bank Ice at Landers Center on Tuesday with a special 10:30 AM puck drop against the Huntsville Havoc.

About the Mississippi RiverKings

The RiverKings are supported by our community partners, season ticket holders, fans, and grants from Maddox Foundation, an independent private foundation based in Hernando, Miss. To find out more about the RiverKings, call 662-342-1755 or visit RiverKings.com.

Be sure to add "media@riverkings.com" to your address book.

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SPHL Stories from December 12, 2017


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